Ten Best: Conner 62 vs Franklin County 60

The Conner Cougars defeated the Franklin County Flyers 62-60 in a tight game on Saturday.  While Conner led through most of the game, Franklin never let it get out of hand and had a chance to win right up until the final seconds.  The Lady Flyers created opportunities through their stifling press and the strong play of junior <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/brooklynn-miles/">Brooklynn Miles</a>, but in the end the Lady Cougars teamwork and toughness inside made the difference.  Here are 10 awards from Saturday's thriller. <strong>MVP: Tyra Murphy, Conner- </strong>In a game that featured some strong inside players, Murphy proved to be the best.  The senior center scored a team-high 19 points and pulled down 8 rebounds.  She also shot well from the charity stripe, making 7 of her 8 free throws.  On the defensive end, Murphy helped defend the rim, not letting Franklin County score easily at the rim despite their penetration.  Her consistent presence inside helped Conner maintain their strong performance all game and eventually come out on top. <strong>Stat Sheet Stuffer: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/brooklynn-miles/">Brooklynn Miles</a>, Franklin County- </strong>There were times on Saturday when Miles seemed to be everywhere on the court for the Lady Flyers.  The junior guard controlled the offense with tremendous ball-skills got to the rim seemingly at will, and both scored and created shots for her teammates.  On defense she was constantly pressing, forcing mistakes from the Conner guards.  She ended up with 20 points, 4 assists, and 6 steals, all game-highs in a very impressive performance. <strong>Sharpshooter: Emily Zorich, Conner- </strong>Zorich's outside stroke may have been Conner's deadliest weapon.  The senior knocked down all five 3's she attempted, not only giving her 16 points but also making her the only Cougar to make a 3 at all. That efficiency made her all the more valuable, as she scored without needing the offense to be focused on her.  Zorich always seemed to find the open spot on offense and took her shots with confidence.  Her explosive outside stroke helped keep Conner's offense rolling throughout the 2nd half. <strong>Perimeter Defense: Nevaeh Carter, </strong><strong>Franklin County- </strong>The Lady Flyers were at their best Saturday when their full-court press created turnovers and gave them opportunities in transition.  Carter and Miles were a two-headed monster in this press, and Carter, in particular, did a great job.  She made it impossible for Conner's guards to make it past half-court, forcing them into bad passes for Miles to intercept, or stealing the ball herself as she did 3 times, making her a huge part of Franklin County's best tactic. <strong>Inside Defense: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/maddie-drummonds/">Maddie Drummonds</a>, Conner- </strong>Not necessarily playing in a traditional rim-protector role, Drummonds had a huge impact defending the interior.  She was mobile enough to stay with Miles when she drove inside and get into passing lanes while playing from the post up to the free-throw line.  She ended up with 3 blocks and 3 steals, showing the diversity of her contributions.  While Drummonds spent some time on the bench due to foul trouble, her contributions while she played were too good to keep her off this list. <strong>Getting to the Line: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/patience-laster/">Patience Laster</a>, Franklin County- </strong>While Conner's inside players undoubtedly had big games, they were not allowed to run wild due to Laster having a great game in her own right.  The sophomore played strong defense, rebounded, and scored inside as you would expect from a good center.  Perhaps the most valuable part of her game though was her ability to draw fouls.  Laster got the lane 11 times, constantly getting hacked in the act of shooting and converting several of them for and-1 opportunities.  While Laster only made 5 of these 11 free throws, she was successful at getting Drummonds into foul trouble, keeping her on the bench for much of the game, which was just as valuable to her team as any scoring contribution. <strong>Best Playmaker: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/brooklynn-miles/">Brooklynn Miles</a>, Franklin County- </strong>While Miles overall play was discussed earlier, her ability to create offense deserves special mention for her offensive creation.  While the points and assists show up on the stat sheet, what doesn't show up is just how great Miles ball-handling skills are, or how easily she was able to get to the rim.  Even when she was met inside by Conner's two-headed monster, she was able to pass out, creating opportunities for her teammates.  The junior has some truly great offensive talent. <strong>Best on Boards: Tyra Murphy, Conner and <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/patience-laster/">Patience Laster</a>, Franklin County- </strong>This award is given to the top two rebounders in Saturday's game as a way to appreciate the tremendous inside battle between the centers.  Murphy and Laster both pulled down eight boards, far and away the most on their respective teams.  Perhaps as impressively, they both had half of their rebounds come on the offensive end, creating plenty of second-chance opportunities for their teams and making it clear that on either end the paint was their domain. <strong>Best Hustle: Ellie Smith, Conner- </strong>Every good team needs a player that is going to go 200 miles-per-hours every second that she is in the game, going after every loose ball and refusing to get out of the opposing team's face on defense.  Smith was that player for Conner on Saturday.  While her stat-line will not stand out like some of her teammates, the junior guard had a huge impact on the game, perhaps most notably with strong defense on Miles down the stretch. <strong>X-Factor:  Conner's Teamwork- </strong>The thing that ended up making the difference in this game was Conner's ability to execute from top to bottom.  They did all the little things right, from staying disciplined on defense to making their free throws, everyone on the Lady Cougars did their job.  Their diversity of skills and ability to make them work together were eventually able to overcome Miles and the Lady Flyers. &nbsp;