UIL 6A Region 1 Finals: South Grand Prairie Defeats Plano East
I had the chance to watch two of the best teams in Texas go head-to-head in Fort Worth on Tuesday. The South Grand Prairie Warriors faced off against the Plano East Panthers at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center in the 6A Regional…
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Continue ReadingI had the chance to watch two of the best teams in Texas go head-to-head in Fort Worth on Tuesday. The South Grand Prairie Warriors faced off against the Plano East Panthers at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center in the 6A Regional Finals. Both schools entered this matchup as the top seeded teams from their respective districts.
Plano East scored the first seven-points of the contest. However, South Grand Prairie managed to knot the game up by the end of the opening quarter and proceeded to go on a 13-4 run to begin the second quarter. After that, the Warriors held a comfortable lead for the remainder of the evening. The Panthers were able to put together a run late in the game, even cutting the deficit to single digits at one point, but it ultimately wasn’t enough. In the end, South Grand Prairie earned a 63-51 victory and a trip to the state semi-finals where they will take on DeSoto for a chance to advance to the UIL 6A state championship.
Here are eight standout prospects from this playoff matchup:
Kiara Jackson Kiara Jackson 5'8" | CG South Grand Prairie | 2021 State TX | 2021 | 5’8” Point Guard | South Grand Prairie HS – SGP’s primary ball handler was sensational on Tuesday, finishing the night with a game-high 16 points in addition to her nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Jackson hit a deep catch-and-shoot three, scored at the basket in transition, found her teammates as a facilitator, and made opportunistic plays as a defender. The UNLV commit navigated the floor beautifully and repeatedly made the right play at the right time for her team.
Donavia Hall | 2022 | 5’9” Small Forward | Plano East HS – Hall came alive in the fourth quarter, fueling East’s comeback attempt with a pair of spot up threes and several trips to the foul line. The junior wing is a crafty scorer, a reliable shooter from behind the arc, and a tough-nosed player that isn’t afraid to take some bumps on her way to the hoop. She ended the contest with 15 points.
Kendall McGruder Kendall McGruder 5'9" | SG South Grand Prairie | 2021 State TX | 2021 | 5’9” Shooting Guard | South Grand Prairie HS – McGruder put the ball in the basket from all three levels vs. the Panthers. She assisted on several baskets with some perfectly executed dishes too. Her savviness on offense was very noticeable, evidenced by getting defenders on her back hip when handling the ball as well as her shot selection. The North Texas commit accounted for 13 points, three assists, and two steals.
Idara Udo | 2023 | 6’1” Power Forward | Plano East HS – Udo was easily the most impressive big in this matchup. She got to her spots in the low post and converted at a high clip, ending up with 13 points. The sophomore forward was decisive whenever she got the ball down low and displayed excellent touch near the rim, showing off her pretty hook shot on several occasions. She is definitely someone to keep an eye on next season.
Jahcelyn Hartfield Jahcelyn Hartfield 5'6" | CG South Grand Prairie | 2022 State TX | 2022 | 5’10” Combo Guard | South Grand Prairie HS – Hartfield was outstanding at both ends on Tuesday. She was great off the drive, attacking in transition with success and gliding to the rim for smooth finishes. The junior guard made some huge plays in the final minutes of the game too, including a breakaway layup to halt Plano East’s fourth quarter run and a pair of double-bonus free throws to seal the victory. She was also disruptive in a variety of ways on defense, accounting for three steals and two blocks in addition to her 11 points.
Kayla Cooper Kayla Cooper 5'9" | SG Plano East | 2022 State TX | 2022 | 5’9” Combo Guard | Plano East HS – Cooper is one of the most accurate distributors I’ve seen this season. Her feel for the game is exceptional. She delivers every pass on the money. The 2022 guard saw a lot of double-teams Tuesday night, but made smart decisions and trusted her teammates. Her playmaking skills are fantastic. While she didn’t have her best game shooting the ball, she is a very capable scorer and certainly worthy of her spot as the No. 10 Prospect in our PGH Texas 2022 rankings.
Vasana Kearney Vasana Kearney 5'9" | SF South Grand Prairie | 2021 State TX | 2021 | 5’9” Small Forward | South Grand Prairie HS – Kearney was incredibly efficient with all of her touches. She does a little bit of everything for the Warriors, and that was on full display against Plano East. The senior wing got it done as a shooter and a slasher on offense, knocking down two triples and making timely cuts to the baskets for tough buckets in the interior. She finished the game with 11 points and four rebounds.
Tiona Amos Tiona Amos 5'9" | CG Plano East | 2022 State TX | 2022 | 5’7” Combo Guard | Plano East HS – Amos is a gritty player who can score from behind the arc and in the paint. The Plano East combo guard drained a couple of three-pointers from the catch, the second of which was from deep range. She also had a good-looking finish at the hoop. Additionally, she was fairly productive on the glass and looked good defending on the perimeter. Amos ended the night with 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists.