5 Key Takeaways From The Keenan vs South Point Game!
I had the pleasure to watch Keenan of Columbia, SC vs South Point of Rock Hill , SC At The Battle Of The Rock held at Nations Ford High School in Fort Mill, SC last night. What a game! On…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingI had the pleasure to watch Keenan of Columbia, SC vs South Point of Rock Hill , SC At The Battle Of The Rock held at Nations Ford High School in Fort Mill, SC last night.
What a game! On hand were a number of college coaches and a large number of fans that packed the gym. It was standing room only!
Keenan was led by freshmen sensation guard Milaysia Fulwiley who had 17 points. South Point was led by senior guards/forwards Randi Neal and Jamia Blake.
Keenan was ahead early as South Point had a difficult time keeping up with Fulwiley. They tried to press her and get the ball out of her hands but no luck! Fulwiley pushed the tempo, made plays for herself and teammates and Keenan jumped out to an 18-9 end of the first quarter lead.
In the second quarter, South Point started to settle down and get into their offense and gain a better understanding of what they needed to do on defense. The goal was to slow the game down and make Keenan run offense against a zone. Blake who had 14 points, kept South Point in the game with leadership, ball handling and fight. At the half, the score was 35-29 Keenan.
In the second half, things changed. South Point, who had better overall talent, started grinding. They were getting loose balls, going to the basket and defending better. Neal, who had 30 points, was dominating the 15-foot area on both ends. She was scoring around the basket, drawing fouls, getting boards and basically willing South Point to a win 66-58!
Fulwiley tried to keep her team in the game, however, it was not enough as she fouled out late in the fourth.
It was a star-studded great game.
Here are 5 key takeaways from the game!
Freshmen Milaysia Fulwiley is must-see TV!
If you get a chance to watch her play, please do so! She has high-level ball skills, can get to the basket, can score, can hit the 3 and more importantly, doesn’t mind passing the ball to open players! Just a freshman, she is way ahead of the curve. She can think the game, she sees things happen before they happen, she hustles, works hard to defend and just overall seems to do whatever it takes to try and win the game. She is listed at 5-7 but appears to be maybe 5-9 or I should say plays like she is 5-9 or taller. The crazy thing is that she could still be growing! Again, she is young and as she keeps working on her game she will only get better! Look out!
Randi Neal, a 5-9 senior for South Point had a great game posting 30 points last night
Once she got rolling and found her way, Keenan couldn’t do much with her. She has the ability to get to the basket in traffic, can hit the short-range jumper and will do what it takes to make a play. She is the type that is hard to defend because a lot of her game is effort. She knows her strengths and uses them accordingly. She is a difference-maker and those playing against her must be prepared to weather her storm.
Jamia Blake is a 5-8 senior for South Point who had 14 points last night and spearheaded the win
She handled the ball in adverse settings, got the team in the right sets, made some shots, made some plays off the dribble, has some game savvy which was much needed last night and she is just an overall good player. Her ability to keep the game in reach during the second quarter last night was key. She really played a good overall floor game.
Trinity Adams is a junior guard for South Point who had 10 points last night. She is on the cusp of being a major game-changer
When she is on the floor she plays hard on both ends. She understands her role on this current team and contributes in many areas. She finds ways to score and doesn’t back down from anything. Next year will be her year as a few seniors will move on and if she works on her overall game, she has the potential to lead the way. Having said that, she could be the key to them going for in the playoffs this year!
South Point can go far in the playoffs this year if they continue to get better
Sounds simple but its work. I like the make-up of the team. The bottom line is that they are coached well with Stephanie Butler leading the way. She commands their attention and they are able to execute what she asks of them. They play hard, don’t quit and seem to have a “find a way to win” element to them. Now toss in the two seniors Blake and Neal along with Adams stepping all the way up and they can make a run. They aren’t the tallest team so they will have to make sure they focus on rebounding as a team. If they can dedicate themselves in that area they will be fine. I look forward to seeing them down the road.