Prep Hoops 10 best: Bloomington Central Catholic vs. Richwoods

Richwoods length and athleticism gained it an edge on the glass and created 23 Bloomington Central Catholic turnovers. The Knights (30-2) beat Bloomington Central Catholic 68-35 in Tuesday's Class 3A Chilicothe Sectional Semifinal. Richwoods advances to Thursday's sectional title against Morton, which beat Canton 71-59 in the second semifinal. Here are the 10 best from Tuesday's game. <h2><strong>Game Thread</strong></h2> https://x.com/Sports_Aaron/status/1098009001692942336 <h2><strong>1. MVP</strong></h2> <strong>Tianna Johnson (Richwoods 2019, G, 5-foot-9)</strong> - 14 points (5-11/2-4/2-2), 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals Johnson is one of the top uncommitted guards in the senior class. Her court vision and high basketball IQ separate her from a lot of players and gives Richwoods a great floor general to run the offense. She will hustle for any loose ball or rebound and can read the passing lanes as good as anybody. All of that was on display Tuesday as she led the Knights to a lopsided victory. <h2><strong>2. Play of the game</strong></h2> Richwoods ran several out-of-bounds plays for Johnson and the best came at the halftime horn. She inbounded the ball from halfcourt into the frontcourt to <strong>Lauryn Evans (2020)</strong>. Johnson had enough time to step inbounds, set her feet and square up as Evans passed it back for an in-rhythm, 38-foot 3-pointer. <h2><strong>3. Best offensive performance</strong></h2> <strong>Nia Williams (Richwoods 2020, G, 5-7) </strong>- 17 points (6-12/4-6/1-3); 5 offensive rebounds Williams spaced the floor with her 3-point shooting early on to open up the paint for her teammates. She's become an improved and confident perimeter shooter and ball-handler, a huge step up in her game from her sophomore season where she was timid to do either. Her length big in two areas - defensively and on the offensive glass, which she crashes often and comes away with second-chance opportunities. <h2><strong>4. Best defensive performance</strong></h2> <strong>Jaida McCloud (Richwoods 2020, G, 6-0)</strong> - 3 defensive rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block Sometimes it is hard to impact a game from the baseline left wing in a 2-3 zone, but McCloud took away that half of the court with her length and quickness. Her help-side defense was strong and she secured rebounds. <h2><strong>5. Best girl off the bench</strong></h2> <strong>Trinity Sims (Richwoods 2019, F, 5-10)</strong> - 2 points (0-1/0-0/2-2); 2 blocks, 2 assists, 1 rebounds Sims gave Richwoods big minutes when they needed depth in the frontcourt. She moved well along the baseline to set herself up with scoring opportunities and also draw help-side defense to set up her teammates. <h2><strong>6. Best intangibles</strong></h2> <strong>Tianna Johnson</strong> Johnson is so smooth and free-flowing on the court. She makes difficult passes look easy and finds ways to thread the ball through a zone defense. Johnson elevates her player's game and is the glue that holds the team together. <h2><strong>7. Best post moves</strong></h2> <strong>Camryn Taylor (Richwoods 2019, F, 6-2)</strong> Taylor is a walking mismatch against most high school teams and the same rang true Tuesday. She is often taller, longer, more athletic and quicker than her opponents, which makes her such a skilled post player. Her efficiency was the best out of any player, going 7-for-9 from the floor and hitting 2-of-3 from the charity stripe. She set the tone in the first quarter, scoring 9 of her 16 points. <h2><strong>8. Best underclassman</strong></h2> <strong>Abby Cox (Central Catholic 2021, F, 6-0)</strong> - 0 points (0-0/0-0/0-0), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block Cox did more with her (limited) minutes than anybody else. She was used as a defender with offense-defense substitutions throughout the game and made plays for her teammates. <h2><strong>9. Best Shooter</strong></h2> <strong>Lauren Shanks (Central Catholic 2019, G, 5-6)</strong> - 4-6 on 3-pointers Shanks was ready to receive a pass with her feet set and shoulders square ready to get a shot off before the length of Richwoods could get to her. It seemed every shot was going to go down, though it took her over a quarter to get involved offensively. Once free, it set her game up to drive the basketball and get to the free-throw line. <h2><strong>10. Best Warrior</strong></h2> <strong>Bailey Coffman (Central Catholic 2019, F, 6-0)</strong> Coffman struggled with shooting efficiency in the post. She showed good moves to get herself a good look but couldn't finish. At one point, she was fouled hard by Taylor across the wrist and was in noticeable pain trying to avoid crying as she stepped to the free-throw line. She continued to battle throughout the game. Even when the defense collapsed on her inside, she showed she could play on the perimeter and create for her teammates or shoot for herself. <h2><strong>Lines of the night</strong></h2> <em>Central Catholic</em> <strong>Lauren Shanks</strong> - 19 points (6-11/4-6/3-5), 4 rebounds, 1 steal <strong>Bailey Coffman </strong>- 9 points (2-9/1-1/4-8), 6 rebounds, 2 assists <em>Richwoods</em> <strong>Nia Williams</strong> - 17 points (6-12/4-6/1-3), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal <strong>Camryn Taylor</strong> - 16 points (7-9/0-0/2-3), 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block <strong>Jaida McCloud</strong> - 15 points (6-13/1-2/2-2), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block <strong>Tianna Johnson</strong> - 14 points (5-11/2-4/2-2), 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals