Asheboro-Conley Standouts

In a heated playoff matchup between two of the top remaining teams in the 3-A East, the visiting Asheboro Blue Comets upset the D.H. Conley Vikings, 64-61 Thursday in the second round. They advance to take on Eastern Alamance with a trip to regionals on the line. Who were some of the standout performers in this game? Prep Girls Hoops NC takes a look. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="217530" first="Diamond" last="McDowell"] (Asheboro forward, 2021)</strong> Asheboro senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="217530" first="Diamond" last="McDowell"] took over this game especially in the second half in their victory. She led the way with 24 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and six block for the Blue Comets. Defensively, she took the challenge going up against one of the best backcourts in Eastern North Carolina and showed great versatility on both ends of the floor. It should be no surprise because McDowell has been doing this all season for Asheboro. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="217553" first="Tanaesha" last="Ellison"] (Asheboro guard, 2021)</strong> Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="217553" first="Tanaesha" last="Ellison"] is an excellent shot creator and her three point shooting set the tone in this contest. She added 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block while going 3-6 from three point range. Her ability to push the pace in transition flustered Conley late in the first half and allowed them to stay close going into the third quarter. If she keeps it up, this Blue Comets teams could advance further in the state playoffs. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="201995" first="Kylah" last="Silver"] (Conley guard, 2023)</strong> Although it was a tough night for the Vikings, [player_tooltip player_id="201995" first="Kylah" last="Silver"] did everything she could to keep her team in the contest. Silver finished with 27 points on 11-23 shooting and eight rebounds for the ECC 3-A/4-A champions. She attacked the basket with ease and hit a lot of difficult shots throughout the game as she’s done all season long. With her back in the fold, Conley will be right back in this position next season as they move up to 4-A. <strong>Krystal Haddock (Conley guard, 2024)</strong> The way Krystal Haddock has improved throughout her freshman season has been tremendous and she’s worked her way into the discussion of North Carolina’s best 2024 prospects. Haddock had 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists for the Vikings while essentially being Conley’s center against a team with a lot of size and athleticism. Haddock has played that role for most of the season and she’s become comfortable being the Swiss Army knife that the Vikings needed this year. Expect her to be a big part of this team going forward.