Dominique Nesland hopes to bring Xavier its first state basketball title in Open final

After three previous years of heartbreak falling short of high expectations in the state playoffs, Phoenix Xavier Prep point guard Dominique Nesland leads its core senior group in their last game together on Saturday.

The Open Division state tournament's No. 2 Xavier Prep's looking to dethrone the Open Division defending champion and No. 4-seed Phoenix Desert Vista, led by The Republic's top-ranked player and Stanford-bound senior Shay Ijiwoye.

The game tips off at 5 p.m., at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Xavier Prep embodies its school primary color as a blue blood in Arizona high school girls sports. The all-girls college preparatory school has won 152 state championships across a myriad of sports since the mid-1970s, but not in basketball.

“This is the year to do it if we’re going to do it, and then playing with Sarah, Mo (Ulrich), and all the seniors for one last game, I’m really excited for that," Nesland told The Republic. "Hopefully we can make history at the school.”

The High Point-commit Nesland is known for making glitzy no-look passes and made her own history this season, too.

She's the Xavier Prep scoring, assist, and steals leader at 14 points, 5.5 assists per game (eighth-ranked in the state, second in the 6A conference), and 2.4 steals per game.

In late February, Nesland surpassed the program's all-time scoring and single-season assist records at 1,313 and 146. She broke the 146 mark, previously held by Leilani Mitchell in 2019, the last year Xavier Prep reached a state championship and lost in the 6A title game to Chandler Hamilton. Plus, Nesland has a handful shy of the school's all-time assists record 408.

The numbers are a big deal, but possibly defeating Desert Vista would be her biggest feat yet.

“This Open tournament this year was filled with talented players. I’m just excited to go against DV because they’re trying to win a back-to-back and it’s going to be really tough because they’re a really good team," Nesland said.

Xavier Prep and Desert Vista are stockpiled with four players each who were among The Republic's Elite 50 player selections. Nesland and her backcourt mate Sarah Miller are neck and neck at Nos. 3 and 4 as the state's best tandem.

Miller is Xavier Prep's engine (12.9 points) and Nesland is the wheels driving their vaunted unit. When they were sophomores, Xavier Prep was the No. 2 seed. The Gators were upset in the 6A semifinals by 11th seed Gilbert Perry.

Last season, Miller was sidelined from a torn ACL. Xavier Prep fared well without Miller, but lost to Desert Vista in the inaugural Open semifinals.

“Sitting out was never fun, especially when you really wish you were there," Miller said. "Also, at the same time it’s taught me many things and seeing Dom carry a lot of weight, our other teammates like Mo (Maureen Ulrich) did a lot of good work defensively and offensively, Noelle last year, all the pieces, Lucy (Sanford), Jas (Jasmine Olivar).

"Although Dom did such a great job, it’s wasn’t just Dom, it was our team altogether I feel that’s why we’re just so powerful together.”

In addition to Desert Vista having Ijiwoye, the Thunder's four other starters are Loyola Marymount-committed big Aniyah Riddell, junior shooter Dylan Swindle, and the speedster senior Eanae Dagons.

Xavier Prep has highly touted 6-foot-4 junior center Noelle Guiamatsia and their versatile defensive specialist Ulrich to match up against them with Nesland's ox-like strength and speed.

“The thing we have to do is contain them defensively and not let them drive to the basket. They’re very good athletes, and I know that Dom can do that when she puts her mind to it,” Xavier Prep coach Jennifer Gillom said. “Not to be focused so much offensively as it is defensively. I know that they will have a hard time stopping her, but she must contain them as well. And also to be able to match their physicality.

"I know that Dom has brute strength and can handle that pressure. She’s been there, done that with them, and she pretty much had to do that on her own last year when we didn’t have Sarah Miller.”

Nesland's ready to ride off as a state champion

Nesland's passion has been basketball since she was a child, the product of her father and mother who played for Hawaii and Washington in college. Her other first love is as an equestrian.

She began riding horses when she was 9-years old at Maricopa’s Hangin’ Saddle Ranch. She entered jumping and competing in equestrian shows when she became a teenager, after her family moved to Cave Creek, where her barn's horse stable is located.

Nesland’s earned first place medals at multiple shows across Colorado, California, and Arizona.

“I love riding horses,” Nesland said. “It’s just very calming. It definitely helps with mental health because being on horses is very healing, even if you’re not riding them. With basketball, it’s kind of like a break from that, working different muscles. It’s kind of like one-on-one, you with the horse instead of a team atmosphere in basketball."

She suffered a concussion two years ago and tailbone injuries, and has a scar on her arm from three years ago when she took a hard fall when her horse tripped over its own legs.

Nesland claimed that's developed her "toughness and grit," plus resilience, similar to Xavier Prep's previous postseason losses.

“When I had my concussion, I had to get back on the horse, ride the course again," Nesland said. "With basketball, you may lose one in the season, but you gotta keep going and keep pushing to your ultimate goal. On horses, you’re ultimate goal could be winning a medal at a big show. In basketball in this year, it’s winning state.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Xavier Prep's Nesland rides high into Open girls basketball title game