A-Private Championship 10 Best: Holy Innocents’ vs. St. Francis

<div>The biggest game of the season in the GHSA State Championship saw the #1 and #2 ranked teams in classification 1A-Private go head to head. St. Francis (28-4) entered as the number one team according to power rankings with Holy Innocents’ (25-5) ranked number two.</div> <div></div> <div>This was the first meeting between the two teams with Holy Innocents’ looking to defend its 2019 GHSA State Championship title and win back to back. St. Francis was returning to the championship game after losing in the Final Four last, just one win away from an opportunity to take the crown.</div> <div></div> <div>Holy Innocents’ seemed to control the game from the tip, battling several strong runs by St. Francis in a game that saw 6 lead changes and 4 ties. Eventually, Holy Innocents would go on to win the game by a final of 66-53 behind Rachel Suttles’s late free-throw flurry to seal the deal and repeat as back-to-back state champions.</div> <div></div> <div>On to the Best...</div> <div></div> <div> [caption id="attachment_151608" align="alignleft" width="150"] Courtesy of Pinion Photography[/caption] <span style="font-size: 14pt"><strong>MVP: Rachel Suttle | 5’11 | W | Holy Innocents’ | 2021</strong></span> </div> <div></div> <div>The junior wing for Holy Innocents did it all for the Lady Bears. Her versatility showed on both ends of the court. On offense, you could find her on the wing looking to drive or in the paint mixing it up for offensive rebounds and putbacks. On the defensive end should be trusted to guard the quick backcourt of St. Francis or the long and athletic frontcourt trio. She was clutch at the foul line in the late stretch of the game to ice it going a total of 11-12 from the free-throw line. She was only one rebound shy of a double-double and finished with 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists. All she need was a block to fill every statistical category. It was clear she was willing to do whatever it took to be crowned as a state champion. Look for her to be included in our updated state rankings for the class of 2021.</div> <div></div> <div></div> <div> [caption id="attachment_151609" align="alignright" width="150"] Courtesy of Pinion Photography[/caption] <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Best Offensive Performance: Jada Farrell | 5’9 | G | Holy Innocents’ | 2020</span></strong> </div> <div></div> <div>Jada Farrell was masterful on the offensive end in this game and St. Francis seemed to have no answer for her defensively. Her basketball IQ was on full display. She seemed to make the correct decision any time the ball was in her hands. Whether it was making a strong drive, attacking in transition for the mid-range jumper, or pulling the trigger from beyond the arc, she knew exactly what to do. Each time her team needed a basket, there she was. Her 21 points included going 2-3 from behind the arc and she shot 69% from the field. She was also able to make two assists and snagged two rebounds to fill out her stat line. She was efficient in ways that you would expect from a senior guard in a state championship game.</div> <div></div> <div> [caption id="attachment_151610" align="alignleft" width="150"] Courtesy of Pinion Photography[/caption] <span style="font-size: 14pt"><strong>Best Defensive Performance: [player_tooltip player_id="118042" first="Savannah" last="Samuel"] | 6’1 | W | St. Francis | 2020 | #13</strong></span> </div> <div></div> <div>I had to think long and hard about this selection because there were so many players that showed the grit and toughness that it takes to be good defenders in this game. [player_tooltip player_id="118042" first="Savannah" last="Samuel"] is where I landed, and for good reason. The long athletic wing was in large part tasked with keeping the premiere post, [player_tooltip player_id="118096" first="Jillian" last="Hollingshead"] from dominating the game and although she had some moments she finished with just 11 points. That enough was a big deal. What was even more impressive was her mobility in the St. Francis press. When it was most effective it was due to her ability to read and make correct rotations to get deflections that led to steals for her team. There is no question that her energy and effort on the defensive side of the floor helped her team keep the game win in reach heading into the fourth quarter.</div> <div></div> <div> [caption id="attachment_151614" align="alignright" width="150"] Courtesy of Pinion Photography[/caption] <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Best Rebounder: [player_tooltip player_id="118096" first="Jillian" last="Hollingshead"] | 6’3 | F | Holy Innocents’ | 2021 | #4</span></strong> </div> <div></div> <div>The junior forward was kept to only 11 points in the game but the frontcourt of St. Francis, but that was just enough to grab earn a double-double in the championship game. Jillian Hollinghshead was relentless on the glass on both ends of the floor. She seemed to overpower her opponents and even her own teammates at times with a determination to grab the ball. The Lady Bears were able to win the battle of the boards and Hollinghead’s 14 rebounds were a big reason why. She could not be denied when wanting to get to the glass.</div> <div></div> <div> [caption id="attachment_151615" align="alignleft" width="150"] Courtesy of Pinion Photography[/caption] <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Best Passer: Erica Moon | 5’7 | PG | St. Francis | 2023</span></strong> </div> <div></div> <div>Erica Moon was another good looking freshman on the court between two teams with coaches that are not afraid to play young players in big games. Moore filled in as the backup guard multiple times throughout the game. She managed primary and and off ball responsibilities equally. Even with just 18 minutes of play, she was able to pick up three assists. She lpaced the ball well, especially in transition. In more intriguing was her decision to rebound the ball where she was able to grab 6 rebounds with 5 coming on the defensive end.</div> <div></div> <div> [caption id="attachment_151616" align="alignright" width="150"] Courtesy of Pinion Photography[/caption] <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Best Player of the Bench: Trynce Taylor | 6’0 | W | St. Francis | 2023</span></strong> </div> <div></div> <div>Some could argue that Cierra Foster of Holy Innocents’ could have won this title. She layed a lot of quality minutes for the Lady Bears and seemed to help control the game from thepoint guard position for her team, but I left very impressed with Trynce Taylor. I had a chance to see her get minutes against Alexander earlier this season but in the biggest game of the season she showed up. The freshman wing finished with 8 points going 4-7 from the floor and grabbed 5 rebounds, 4 of which were offensive boards, in just 12 minutes of play. She has the rebounding instinct on the offensive end to predict where the ball is going to bounce and relocates to the easiest position to grab it. Her points came at some of the most needed points of the game to both stop a run or sustain one being made by her squad. This freshman has a bright future in with the Lady Knights and is sure to be included in our first set of 2023 class rankings.</div> <div></div> <div> [caption id="attachment_151617" align="alignleft" width="150"] Courtesy of Pinion Photography[/caption] <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Best Intangibles: [player_tooltip player_id="118098" first="Mia" last="Moore"] | 5’6 | PG | St. Francis | 2021</span></strong> </div> <div></div> <div>Passion and perseverance are two of the most important skills in this game. The downside is that coaches cannot put them in their players, they have to be developed from within by each individual player. Well, [player_tooltip player_id="118098" first="Mia" last="Moore"] showed both in this game. Her passion and will to win no matter the score showed from the beginning of the game and did not leave until the final buzzer. She chased loose balls, encouraged her team and cheered even when sitting on the bench. She has that competitive spirit that leaves you knowing that she will come back hungrier next year and even better becasue she will work on her craft. I loved the resiliency that she showed in this game.</div> <div></div> <div> [caption id="attachment_151618" align="alignright" width="150"] Courtesy of Pinion Photography[/caption] <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Olivia Hutchenson | 6’0 | F | Holy Innocents’ | 2023</span></strong> </div> <div></div> <div>I really liked what I saw from Olivia Hutchinson in this game. This is a name that coaches should get familiar with. She has a nice stroke and very good mechanics as a post player. As a young player, she has good toughness and does not dodge physical play, often times calling for the ball on the low block. She finished with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and even showed a rim protection ability picking up a block. She is a stock riser that I will be tracking this summer. Look for her to be included in our first class of 2023 rankings very soon.</div> <div></div> <div><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Play of the Game: [player_tooltip player_id="118098" first="Mia" last="Moore"]</span></strong></div> <div></div> <div>Going back to [player_tooltip player_id="118098" first="Mia" last="Moore"], her passion showed on a full-court drive to the basket that ended with a tough layup plus the foul over an outstretched Rachel Suttle. The crowd went wild as Moore yelled and flexed her muscles after absorbing the strong contact and finishing. It brought her team back to within 10 points with less than a minute left to play in the 3rd quarter. They would end the quarter down by just 8 points after being down 16 just 3 minutes earlier. It was a big momentum shift and kept hope for St. Francis.</div> <div></div> <div><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Best GHSA Decision: Classification 1A-Private</span></strong></div> <div></div> <div>The decision to make 1A-Private separate from 1A-Public was the best thing for Georgia girls basketball. The level of talent on both teams mirrored what you would find in the 7A State Championship. The game was load with NCAA Division 1 prospects. This is a decision that GHSA got right. It keeps the game fun and entertaining and allows several of the smaller communities in the state to also earn a right to play for championships.</div>