Whale Branch HS vs Military Magnet Academy

A highly anticipated matchup between the two of the top 1A teams went emphatically the way of Whale Branch as the Warriors pulled off a 46-27 victory over the Eagles. What began as a game of runs in the first quarter began to resemble more of a one-sided contest as the second and third quarters went on as the Whale Branch offense was clicking and its defense kept Military Magnet in check. Warriors coach LaToya Mack mentioned how her players had been waiting all season for the opportunity at a region title – and that a key factor of their success has been near the rim. “The bigs have actually just surprised me all around,” she said. “Each day that I see them in practice, each game, they get better, they get more stronger and I’m proud of them.” Eagles coach Nathaniel Taylor believes that his team got away from its game plan as the game went on, but maintained optimism even after a rough night. “We couldn’t put the ball in the hole,” he said. “It’s one of those days. Things snowball when certain little nuances don’t work right. But … I like my team and I like our chances if we see them again.” Prep Girls Hoops was on hand in North Charleston for the much-ballyhooed game. Here is a look at who stood out on Monday night. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="171795" first="Kaelin" last="Davis"] – 2023 – Military Magnet Academy</strong> – When Davis is on the court, things are typically “okae” for the Eagles. She displays efficiency with her ball movement and has an ability to find the rim in a number of different ways. Davis also showcased her passing skills with a knack of being able to find teammates that were open for scoring opportunities. She will set up an offense in the half-court and will fully take on tough defensive assignments. She scored eight points on Monday night, but six of them came in the fourth quarter – including a pair of made free throws. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/02/8768C5B5-9F46-413D-9375-FC997DDF75C3-scaled-crop-1683x1105-1612883812.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-253710" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/02/8768C5B5-9F46-413D-9375-FC997DDF75C3-scaled-crop-1683x1105-1612883812-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="171758" first="Kynew" last="Barnwell"] – 2022 – Whale Branch High School</strong> – Barnwell is one of those “blink and you may miss it” sort of players. These are the types that display so much speed on the court that one moment they are dribbling the ball up the floor and the next, they are taking it to the rack for two more points. And in Barnwell’s case, those two points may come against a slew of defenders as she is not afraid to be in scoring situations even if they look precarious on paper. Barnwell is creative with her shot selection, ball handling, ball movement and passing. Even if she has a slight mishandle, she will quickly recover and it always feels as if she is a step ahead of defenses. Barnwell finished with 19 points and did not have a foul called against her all game. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-253708" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/02/75E08315-178E-49A6-89D3-BF0B4DAE8189-scaled-crop-2560x1681-1612883642-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="172055" first="Chazmin" last="Bradley"] – 2023 – Military Magnet Academy</strong> – An exciting element to the Eagles team that it has is plenty of its primary players are underclassmen. Bradley is another one of those and brings her own dimension to Military Magnet. She gives her teammates opportunities to make effective passes and turn those into scoring opportunities. Bradley will make things difficult on defense for whoever has the ball. She will shoot from range and will attack the rim regardless of how many defenders may be waiting on her. Bradley also concluded her evening with eight points – six in the first half. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-253699" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/02/98E5E711-6B0F-4425-BD57-542A9BCAED4F.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="185718" first="Zhani" last="Thompson"] – 2021 – Whale Branch High School</strong> – The trip from Beaufort up to North Charleston had to be especially sweet for Thompson given the sun will soon set on her high school career. Thompson, already one of the most talked-about kids in the state, displayed exactly why on Monday evening. Efficient ball movement, rebounding, goes strong to the basket and will draw plenty of contact which sets her up to drain shots from the line. Thompson particularly made her free throws in the second half, something any coach loves to see in case a big game comes down to the final seconds. She had 12 points – including 10 in the second half (six in the third quarter). <strong>Jataya Brown – 2023 – Military Magnet Academy</strong> – Brown not only turns the frowns of Military Magnet fans upside down, she does the same to opposing teams’ game plans with her talents. She can find open looks from anywhere on the floor and can also be a problem for teams with her defensive work. Brown possesses the rebounding skills of a forward or center while also having the passing skills of a guard. Brown only scored four points on Monday night, but it was when those four points were scored that will catch the attention of many – in the fourth quarter. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-253697" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/02/9DB801EC-5F59-47DB-BAB8-CC06D05D76DD.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="252501" first="Erin" last="Rivers"] – 2022 – Whale Branch High School</strong> – There almost ought to be a floating “Do Not Enter” sign near the rim whenever the Warriors’ imposing center is on the floor because her presence alone makes it difficult for opponents to score high-percentage shots near the basket. The stereotypical knock against bigs is even if they get fouled, they will struggle at the line. Rivers can hit free throws. Rivers can rebound. Rivers can block shots. Rivers can get in the right place at the right time in anticipating passes near the rim that she can put in for an easy two points. She had nine for the game. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-253702" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/02/4FC9BE15-AE62-42AD-AEBE-C75FA6CF6319.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124112" first="Rykia" last="Jakes"] – 2023 – Military Magnet Academy</strong> – Jakes came off the bench for Military Magnet on Monday night. With her proficiency as a scorer, it may be common to see her in “iso-ball” scenarios. Jakes also can put an emphasis on shooting from long range and it helped in the first quarter as she drained a triple to snap what was a Warriors scoring run. Jakes actually had the only made shot from behind the arc for the Eagles all game, but those three were her only points of the contest. Of course, she will do other things besides score – such as prevent the other team from scoring by creating turnovers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="174567" first="Jazmin" last="Diaz"] – 2021 – Whale Branch High School</strong> – Whale Branch will definitely miss her when she graduates. Diaz is one of those that brings a toughness to the game and to her team and one way she does that is by demonstrating her willingness to never give up on a play, such as diving for a loose ball. She also proves that with her passing ability as well as her knack for being stellar on defense. One moment she is on defense and the next she will either steal the ball from who she is defending or intercept a pass to get it to her team. And then the next, she may be at the free throw line after attracting contact as what happened in the fourth quarter. Two made free throws were her only scores of the game, but as we know, stat sheets only tell part of the story.