Southern Illinois Top Shooters

In this article we look at some of the top shooters in the Central and Southern part of Illinois. The criteria I used was to look at the combination of 3-point shots made, 3-point % made, free throw % and 2-point % made. But, it started with making 3-point shots and making them at a rate of at least 30%. While some players may be great practice shooters, that will not get you on this list. You have to perform when the lights are on. So, here is the list I came up with for you. Everyone on this list made at least 40 for the season. Those players below 50 had to have proven something to me with their 2-point % and free throw % and be a proven go to scorer to get on the list. Obviously I could have made this list as big or as small as I wanted, but I believe this is a a fair representation of who the top shooters are in our part of the state. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="123565" first="Erin" last="Houpt"]--is a 5’6 2021 Guard from Danville. Erin is widely considered one of the top scorers in the Southern half of the state. She excels at using her handles to get to the basket which allows her more chances from behind the arc. Erin averaged 24 points per game and hit 73 threes for the season. She made 38% of her shots from behind the arc and a remarkable 89% on 266 free throw attempts. [player_tooltip player_id="78769" first="Sydney" last="Harris"]- is a 6’0 2022 Wing from Edwardsville. Sydney is an excellent scorer that took the role of the go to player the minute she played her first game in the orange and black. To step on the court for a 4A top program and hit over 50% from behind the 3-point line as a freshman is special. Sydney became the focus of many teams this year as a sophomore and yet she still averaged 15.7 points per game. She hit 59 threes and shot 41% on those threes. Sofie Lowis- is a 5’8 2021 Wing from Springfield Sacred Heart Griffin. Sofie is a combo guard that can play the point or work off the ball. She is an excellent scorer that can go to the basket and finish. From behind the line Sofie excels at shooting off the dribble which many girls cannot do well at this age. Sofie has great balance and feel that allows her to shoot well consistently from any range. She made 112 threes while shooting 36% from behind the arc. Sofie holds D1 offers from SIUE and Army. Kenzie Decker is a 5'7 2021 Guard from Springfield. Kenzie is the hardest worker on her team and holds teammates accountable for their actions. She is an outstanding 3 point shooter. She hit the second most 3s in CS8 last seasonand was first team all conference. She has above average handles and can get to rim regularly and finishes well. Kenzie a pure scorer with deep range. She 104 threes while shooting 32% on those threes. [player_tooltip player_id="160146" first="Reese" last="Bennett"]- is a 5'7 2022 Guard from Belleville West. Reese took a big jump from her freshman to sophomore season. During her sophomore season she showed herself to be a consistent threat from the 3-point line She hit 73 shots from behind the arc at a 40% rate. She is tough and battles on every trip down the floor. Reese did an excellent job of getting set to shoot off the catch taking advantage of the teams that collapsed on the inside game of West.(featured image player) Madi Lovett is a 5’7 2021 Guard from North Clay. Maddie is a strong and physical guard that can score. She has a very quick release on her 3-point shot and can hit it a good rate. Maddie can get to the rim and finish in traffic which is evidenced by her making 146 free throws while shooting 70% from the line. She scored 22 points per game off 53 threes and she made them at 36% rate. [player_tooltip player_id="78768" first="Anna" last="Blank"]- is a 5'11 2022 Guard from Olney. Anna is a tall and strong point guard that can also score. She has the handles and the court vision to excel as a point guard. In addition, Anna plays for a school team that needs her to score. Anna can do that by using her handles and athletic ability to get to the rim. In addition Anna has improved her outside shot enough to be considered one of our top shooters. She made 85 threes this year while shooting 38% from behind the line on her way to averaging over 20 points per game. [player_tooltip player_id="138871" first="Kai" last="Engledow"]- is a 5'8 2022 Wing from Marshall. Kai can hit some serious "Kai bombs" as her AAU coach Dan Gates like to call them. She is a very strong player that can use that strength to defend, rebound and score inside. But, the highlight of her game is her deep range and ability to pull the trigger quickly. Kai recognizes when she is open and will let it fly. She hit 70 threes at a shooting precentage of 34%. Anna McKee-is s  5'8 2021 Guard from Father McGivney. Anna is a long and athletic player that is the leading scorer in school history for the young Father McGivney program. She is a consistent threat on both ends of the floor. Anna has hit many big shots in her career and can get really hot from behind the line. This season she shot 30% from behind the 3-point line, but she can make an opponent feel like it is 50%. Anna tends to miss 5 in a row then go 3/5 right after that to remind you that you can never leave her alone. She made 75 3-pointers this year. [player_tooltip player_id="160159" first="Alexis" last="Pohlman"]- is a 5'8 2022 Guard from Greenfield. Alexis has a smooth shot that she can make from anywhere on the floor. She is deadly when she can get her feet set. She can handle the ball enough to play some point guard and also will take the ball to the hole to open up more chances for the outside shot. Alexis averaged 15 points while making 48 threes and shot 35% from behind the arc. <span style="font-size: 1rem;">Emily White- is a 5'11 2021 Wing from Sullivan. Emily is long and uses her instincts very well on the defensive end of the floor. She can be so good defensively that you might miss her offensive skills on first sight, I know I did. Offensively she can score as is demonstrated by her 16 point per game average. Her best weapon at this point is the 3-ball which she can hit at a high rate. Emily made 51,threes while hitting them at a 35% rate. She has nice form and uses her length to get them off over smaller defenders.</span> Karli Artman- is a 5'6 2021 Guard from Illini West. Karli is a guard that does an excellent job of handling the basketball and using her speed in the open floor. She uses this ability to get going downhill and often into the lane where she makes good decisions to shoot or pass. Karli can also shoot it at a very high rate. She made 79 threes this year at a clip of 35% on her way to 16 points per game. Maddy Schwemmer- is a 5'8 2022 Wing from Freeburg. Maddy stepped into a starting role as a sophomore and made the best of it. She is a natural scorer that can really stroke it from the 3-point line. She led the team in scoring and hit 73 threes on 37% shooting from behind the arc. Maddy has the strength to take defenders off the dribble and finish in the lane, which makes her hard to guard. She proved to be a big game player by having two excellent games in the playoffs. [player_tooltip player_id="123584" first="Clare" last="Breden"]- is a 5'5 2021 Guard from Jerseyville. Clare shows a high level combination of athletic ability and basketball ability. Not only does she have that burst in her first step but she translates that into speed with the ball going 94 feet. Clare has deep range on her 3-point shot and is deadly with a set of runners/floaters that she can off over taller players. She has endured endless junk defenses that are designed to stop her from scoring. Clare has improved her game off the bounce to combat the face guarding tight defenses that are the norm for her. She still hit 41 threes on 33% shooting. Clare hit 54 % on two point shots and 75% on her free throws. Emma Rush- is a 5'6 2021 Guard from Vienna. Emma is a strong kid that has a very soft shot. She has good handles that allow her to beat her defender and create pull up opportunities. Emma has very good form that she can repeat and a nice release. She hit 42 threes at a clip of 35% and hit her free throws at a 73% clip on her way to 15.7 points per game. [player_tooltip player_id="124852" first="Mallory" last="Ramage"]- is a 5'10 2022 Guard from Mattoon. Mallory was name the Herald &amp; Review player of the year after averaging 21 points per game. She really has great feel for the game and can make plays on offense no matter what is needed. Mallory spends many hours in the gym working on her game and that was evident by her 57 threes and 38% shooting on those threes.