GHSA State Championships Day 3 Top Performers

<strong>2020 5-6 G [player_tooltip player_id="118075" first="Trinity" last="Jones"] – Americus-Sumter</strong> The three-point shooter led the Panthers in scoring with 21 points. She hit two threes on the day. Jones is a solid jump shooter that works to find space. She did a nice job finishing in transition. What stood out most in Jones’ game was her unselfishness. She took multiple charges and sacrificed her body. She is an intelligent player. <strong>2020 5-10 W [player_tooltip player_id="118062" first="Jelissa" last="Reese"] – Americus-Sumter – Troy</strong> [caption id="attachment_152507" align="alignright" width="300"] [player_tooltip player_id="118062" first="Jelissa" last="Reese"] defends [player_tooltip player_id="148864" first="Aniya" last="Palmer"][/caption]A physical specimen that plays with a mean streak, Reese is a lockdown defender and fireworks in the open court. She drew the assignment of defending [player_tooltip player_id="148864" first="Aniya" last="Palmer"] and made life difficult with her strength and quickness. Reese is a good playmaker capable of making flashy passes. Sometimes she can get a little out of control and do too much but she is a big-time talent with college-ready athleticism and body to boot. She had 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. <strong>2022 6-0 W [player_tooltip player_id="148864" first="Aniya" last="Palmer"] – Troup County</strong> Early foul trouble kept [player_tooltip player_id="148864" first="Aniya" last="Palmer"] from taking over but she still finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals. Palmer was efficient going 5-9 from the field and 1-2 from deep. She has a nice jump shot that she can get off the bounce. Palmer’s long arms keeps her engaged on the boards and defensively. She pushes the ball fairly well in traffic but can always improve. She is on D-I radars. <strong>2020 5-9 F Amber Gilbert – Troup County</strong> Troup County’s leading scorer on the year was Amber Gilbert. She is a big forward that scores inside and out. She has an unorthodox flip of a jumper but she has good touch that extends out to the three-point line. The shot putter uses her strength to rebound and to attack the basket and absorb contact. She hit three threes and finished her career with 15 points. She is a quality option for schools looking for some offensive versatility at the 4-spot. <strong>2020 5-9 G [player_tooltip player_id="118069" first="Tate" last="Walters"] – Buford – Furman </strong>The old veteran went into her bag of tricks to pull out a vintage championship performance to finish her career with four state titles. Walters led Buford with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and just one turnover. Walters used ball fakes and precise footwork to get where she needed to go. She had a soft touch within 10-feet and used her mature body to draw fouls when getting to the basket, going 6-8 from the line. Walters was a safety blanket for Coach Gene Durden late in the game and she delivered with her coach-like play. [caption id="attachment_152508" align="alignright" width="300"] Crystal Henderson guards [player_tooltip player_id="118069" first="Tate" last="Walters"][/caption]<strong>2023 5-5 PG Crystal Henderson – Kell</strong> The legend of Crystal Henderson grew in Macon as the diminutive dynamo poured in 14 of her game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter to nearly rally Kell to a miraculous comeback against Buford before running out of time 66-63. Just when it looked like Buford was about to pull away for good, they fell asleep at the wheel and gave Henderson an inch of breathing space and she made them pay, drilling four deep threes. Henderson collected 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals as well. Henderson only turned the ball over twice against the Buford press which forced 24 turnovers. She is extremely good at probing the defense and keeping her dribble alive. She’s shifty getting to the basket and can finish around the rim. Henderson looks poised to become a High Major guard. As she adds strength and maybe a few more inches, she will become one of the best players in Georgia if she isn’t already. <strong>2022 5-10 F [player_tooltip player_id="153494" first="Amaya" last="Moss"] – Kell </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153494" first="Amaya" last="Moss"] doesn’t do anything flashy she just produces. The efficient post scores at the rim. She went 6-7 for 14 points and 4 rebounds. She is agile enough to defend guards and moves well in pick-and-roll settings. Moss is capable of knocking down the mid-range jumper. She’s one to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.