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GiGi Battle, DME Academy defeat Bullis School to win Chipotle Nationals championship

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby: Lawrence Fernandez04/06/26lawandfern

Four-star guard GiGi Battle gave the Indiana crowd a glimpse of things to come when she joins the hometown Hoosiers by leading DME Academy to victory over The Bullis School for the Chipotle Nationals girls basketball championship.

Playing at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana, Battle completed a near triple-double with 22 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists. Her all-around performance carried DME Academy to a 68-49 victory over the Bulldogs, capturing the school’s first-ever championship. Before this achievement, the school’s best finish was a semifinal berth in the 2022 Geico Nationals.

GiGi Battle was not alone in carrying her school to a 25-4 record. USC commit Sara Okeke added 20 points on 9-11 shooting, to go with six rebounds, a steal, and a block. Timani Harris contributed ten points and six rebounds, while Chikae Desdunes finished with seven points, four rebounds, and four assists.

It was a wire-to-wire victory for coach Michael Panaggio’s crew, as they led by as many as 21 points. They had a massive advantage in shot conversions with 52 percent (26/50) compared to Bullis’ 34 percent (18/53). DME’s defense also limited Bullis to eight points in the third quarter and zero three-point conversions in the second half.

Though the Bulldogs had a 12-4 advantage in points off turnovers, GiGi Battle and DME Academy had the edge in second-chance points (11-6), fastbreak points (14-6), bench points (17-5), and points in the paint (40-22).

Despite the loss, Bullis School didn’t go down without a fight. They trimmed the lead to eight points, 53-45, halfway through the fourth quarter. However, a five-point swing courtesy of Okeke and Harris settled the game for good.

Ivanna Wilson-Manyacka, the No. 2 prospect from the Class of 2027, led Bullis with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a block. Adora Nwude added 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Adina Asuelimen had eight points. This loss dropped Bullis’ record to 27-7.