Takeaways from Cedar Ridge vs El Paso Eastlake in Katy Classic

Opening round games are usually one-sided in tournaments, keep in mind I'm talking about bracket play where teams are seeded and to have a competitive game toward the end of the evening to get my adrenaline up for a long ride home, or wherever I may be heading, is icing on the cake for me since I don't drink coffee with my cake, Cedar Ridge overcame a double-digit deficit to defeat El Paso Eastlake with a huge 3 by one of the smallest players on the court. Always remember, a close game does not mean it was a good game, this was a good game and here are some of the TAKEAWAYS [caption id="attachment_121494" align="alignleft" width="300"] Cheyanne Bonilla[/caption] <strong>Cheyanne Bonilla shouldn't be UNSIGNED</strong> I don't just blow smoke, I don't even vape and when I say something regarding talent, I mean what I say and Bonilla put on an impressive offensive performance for El Paso Eastlake against a very talented team, one more time, it's not what you do, it's who you do it against and in the first half, she was virtually unstoppable dropping at least 3 threes, I may have missed some going to the hospitality room, as well as attacking the basket from every angle imaginable. Her midrange and ballhandling were also on display <strong>Eastlake gets after it</strong> <strong>Vanessa Herrera</strong> showed me on the opening play that she was ready and her acrobatic moves to the basket to go along with her pinpoint passes for assists were a big reason Eastlake was in control for most of the game. Another, along with Bonilla's scoring, was the fact that<strong> Edith Ramirez</strong> went into BEAST MODE early and stayed there most of the game battling inside on both like there was no tomorrow. Solid play from several other players including<strong> Alexis Landeros</strong> was huge <strong>Cedar Ridge's veteran leadership</strong> <strong>Paetynn Gray</strong> is showing some pre-Cal State Northridge skills in her senior year. She left me speechless during the club season watching her defensive effort including playing the passing lane and rebounding but her long ball shooting was on full display and that, combined with her college-ready body at 6'2 created some problems. <strong>Malaysia DePrisco</strong> has gone from a defensive standout to use her athleticism well on the offensive end, attacking from everywhere and the inside play from <strong>Tajanna White </strong>played a big part in their run <strong>Sophomores stepping up</strong> <strong>Alex Neimeth</strong> has been more than just a pleasant surprise as she joins <strong>Lexi Alexander</strong> in the starting lineup. Neimeth offense has taken off, that midrange is clicking, and along with her solid defense, she has been more than a pleasant surprise. Alexander can bring power on the inside or face the basket and score while <strong>Timasha Hamilton</strong> and <strong>Jakayla Thompson</strong> are sparks off the bench and can provide heat on both ends of the court <strong>SIZE DON'T MATTER when you can play</strong> Another sophomore, <strong>Ta' Kerria Hamilton</strong>, played a big part off the bench as she and <strong>Mikayla Johnson</strong> igniting rallies more than once. Hamilton's attacking of the basket relentlessly as well as the long ball definitely had something to do with her teams' impressive comeback but Johnson who has hit several big-time baskets in front of me nailed the huge 3 that proved to be the game-winner. Both guards are small but both guards are fearless &nbsp;