Northwestern HS vs Ridge View HS

In the first game of the year 2021 for both teams, Ridge View took on Northwestern on its home court on Wednesday evening. The result was an auspicious one for the Blazers as they earned a 59-29 victory over the visiting Trojans. The two teams are slated to meet up again on Northwestern’s court on Saturday Jan. 9. Ridge View raced out to a 19-4 advantage after one quarter and never looked back. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-244095" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/01/E53358C6-DE06-4758-B9FC-BA0172720758.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> Prior to the start of the fourth quarter, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124070" first="Laila" last="Acox"]</strong> was honored for having scored 1,000 points in her Blazers career. Acox is ranked #2 in the Prep Girls Hoops 2021 Palmetto State Class. Acox has signed with East Carolina University for next season. Prep Girls Hoops was on hand to catch a glimpse of these two teams. Here is a look at who caught our eye. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124070" first="Laila" last="Acox"] – 2021 – Ridge View High School</strong> – One knows going into every game that if one wants to defeat Ridge View, a team has to find a way to keep No. 21 in check. There was not much of that going on as the 6-foot Acox looked like her usual self. She was getting herself in position early to convert on high percentage shots as Ridge View got out to its big lead. She also will set herself to rebound as well as block shots on the defensive end. It helps as well that she can shoot from long range as she drained a triplet of 3-pointers this game. On one occasion, she mishandled the ball, but found a way with the ball back near the basket. Acox finished with 17 points. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-244096" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/01/99B4ACAC-826A-4D0E-A85D-2E3CD41D125B.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="244090" first="Darby" last="Grigg"] – 2023 – Northwestern High School</strong> – Grigg got the start at point for the Trojans and was certainly a tone setter for the Trojans attack. Late in the first quarter, there was a point where not only did Ridge View build up a big lead, but Northwestern had yet to get on the scoreboard. Grigg tallied the first Trojans points of the game and also displayed impressive defensive work. Even when things were looking tough, as it seems they were for the Trojans throughout, she looked to make things happen with her agility and ball handling. Grigg co-led Northwestern scorers with six points. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="244089" first="Lanasia" last="Brown"] – 2022 – Ridge View High School</strong> – No. 12 scored 11 points and her play on Wednesday night would have earned her plenty of 10s if it were being judged ala gymnastics. Brown displayed her defensive abilities as well by making things tough on Trojans ball handlers and forcing Northwestern into turnovers. A highlight of her evening came late in the first quarter when she drained a 3-pointer from near half-court, increasing the Blazers lead to 19-4 at the conclusion of the first frame. It was her only trey of the game, but it is certainly one we guess will make its way onto her end-of-season highlight reel. <strong>Alayah Ervin – 2023 – Northwestern High School</strong> – Even in defeats, coaches will attempt to look for silver linings for their teams. Ervin could be seen as a silver lining for the Trojans in this game as she provided depth off the bench. Ervin, who also finished with six points for Northwestern, managed to not only provide scoring depth but found her way to the free throw line on a couple of occasions, meaning she knows how to draw contact. Ervin has her fair share of breakout games, as she did last December in a victory over Covenant Day where she nearly managed a double-digit point output (nine points to be exact). <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="177708" first="Mariah" last="Mitchem"] – 2021 – Ridge View High School</strong> – Another of the noteworthy starters for coach Terrence Gibson’s Ridge View team. Well-oiled machines are as good as the sum of its parts. One of those parts for any basketball team is someone who can distribute the ball to its primary scorers. Mitchem does just that being the proficient passer she is with her court awareness and vision. She got to the line twice in the second half and made three of her three free throw tries, one coming off an and-one, a characteristic teams appreciate from players in tight games against tough opponents. &nbsp; &nbsp;