Who Were the Top Junior Performers (Part 1) in Lakeland?

Who Were the Top Junior Performers (Part 1) in Lakeland? By Michael Wholey 3/4/21 9:00 AM EST This past week, Florida concluded its high school season in Lakeland, hosting the top 4 teams in each class at the RP Funding Center and crowning 6 new state champions. Let’s take a look at who the top Junior performers were.   <img class="size-medium wp-image-249667 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/01/Janay-Quinn-2019-MD-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />[player_tooltip player_id="243961" first="Janay" last="Quinn"] (Miami Senior HS) 5’2 Guard Don’t let Quinn’s size deceive you, she plays bigger than her height and she has an even bigger heart! Miami Senior HS lost 3 of its top players from last year’s 7A State Championship team and almost pulled off back-to-back championships! Quinn’s stat line on the season reads 10.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, and 5.3 SPG. In the semi-final win Quinn dropped 15 points on 4/7 from field and 5/7 from FT line to go along with 5 rebounds and 3 steals. In the championship game, Quinn cooled off a little bit going 3/9 from field for 9 points. The 5’2 guard is fast, aggressive, and is on a 100 at all times. She is a force every time she steps between the lines and creates havoc on opposing teams trying to keep her out of the paint!   [player_tooltip player_id="243966" first="Danajah" last="Peterson"] (Miami Senior HS) 5’8 Forward Like Quinn, Peterson is a big reason for Miami Senior HS success this season. The 5’8 undersized forward has been a major force in the paint all season averaging 10.5 points and 9.4 rebounds. Peterson has a strong lower frame and is almost impossible to move out of the paint once she establishes herself down low. She dropped 10 points and 8 rebounds in the 46-39 semi-final win vs Palm Beach Lakes but struggled vs Vanderbilt signee [player_tooltip player_id="91489" first="Kendal" last="Cheesman"] size in the championship game where she was only able to grab 2 rebounds to go along with 7 points. Miami Senior HS overachieved all season and Quinn and Peterson are a big reason why. Miami Hi is always a factor come playoff time and with those two coming back as well as several other young players, don’t expect that to change!   <img class="size-medium wp-image-259278 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/03/Bre-Gustave-Miami-Suns-235x300.jpg" alt="" width="235" height="300" />[player_tooltip player_id="91572" first="Breanna" last="Gustave"] (St Thomas Aquinas) 5’7 Guard Gustave was the hero in the regional tournament, knocking down the corner 3 that helped St Thomas knock off Ely and allow them to make it to Lakeland. She cooled off in the semi-final game vs Charlotte but was one of 4 players in double figures vs Wekiva in the championship game, helping bring home the 6A State Championship back to Fort Lauderdale. Coming off the bench, Gustave went 5/16 from the field scoring 14 points to go along with 12 rebounds (6 offensive and 6 defensive). She is a big, strong guard who has solid shooting form and is a high percentage catch and shoot player from 3 and does a great job rebounding from the guard spot.   <img class="size-medium wp-image-259277 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/03/Jada-Green-Miami-Suns-280x300.jpg" alt="" width="280" height="300" />[player_tooltip player_id="154841" first="Jada" last="Green"] (St Thomas Aquinas) 6’1 Forward Green came up big in the championship game going a perfect 6/6 from the field for 16 points to go along with 10 rebounds in St Thomas 62-60 win over Wekiva in the 6A championship game. The long, athletic forward gets it done in a variety of ways by running the floor, getting on the offensive glass and being active at the high post. The undersized Wekiva squad really struggled with Green’s combination of height, length and athleticism and in the end STA needed everything Green brought that night to pull out the 2 point championship game win and take home the 6A State championship!   Shaniyah McCarthy (Wekiva) 5’8 Guard McCarthy is a big, long, athletic guard who stepped up big for Wekiva in Lakeland coming off the bench. On the season she was the team’s 6th leading scorer but got into double figures in both games shooting an impressive 69% from the field in two games dropping 10 and 12 points while also averaging 7 rebounds. Wekiva came up short in the championship game, losing to St Thomas Aquinas 62-60 but they return 8 of their top 9 players next season and should be right back in Lakeland next season.   [player_tooltip player_id="151272" first="Aryana" last="Hicks"] (Charlotte HS) 5’5 Guard Hicks had a big Junior year for Charlotte leading her team in points (14.3 PPG), assists (4.0 APG), and steals (3.8 SPG). Hicks played all 32 minutes for Charlotte in their semi-final loss dropping 11 points of 4/10 shooting. She is a talented combo guard that can play both the 1 and the 2 and switch back and forth between being the facilitator as well as a scoring threat. She is very good in the open court and is very aggressive attacking in transition and is hard to keep out of the paint!   [player_tooltip player_id="91588" first="Janiyah" last="Jackson"] (St. Augustine) 5’11 Forward Jackson pretty much did everything she could to try and put St Augustine on her back to defeat Palm Bay in the semi-finals. She dropped 12 points on 5/11 shooting while hauling down half of her team’s rebounds accumulating 16 rebounds including 10 on the offensive glass! In the end her St Augustine squad was overmatched by a talented and deep Palm Bay roster. Jackson and teammate [player_tooltip player_id="220358" first="Kyra" last="Stauble"] were a huge reason behind St. Augustine’s 26-2 record and their record-breaking season!   <img class="size-medium wp-image-243411 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/01/Syd-e1609884451774-264x300.png" alt="" width="264" height="300" />[player_tooltip player_id="91557" first="Sydney" last="Shaw"] (American Heritage Plantation) 5’10 Guard Shaw has already won several state championships with Miami Country Day but after getting upset in Lakeland last season, Shaw transferred to American Heritage and has had one goal on her mind all year and that was getting back to Lakeland and winning another title. Shaw helped lead the Patriots to a 25-2 record in one of the state’s toughest schedules averaging a team high 16.8 points per game to go along with 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. In Lakeland she went for 20 points on 7/13 from field and 3/6 from 3 vs Clearwater in the semi-final matchup putting her board offensive skill set on display. Shaw got it done from perimeter knocking down 3s while also taking her man off the dribble and getting all the way to the rim while also dropping 3 assists and snatching 3 steals. She struggled a little bit in the defensive slug fest of a championship game going 2/10 from the field but again played all 32 minutes and helped American Heritage to the 41-36 win and take home the 6A state championship (Shaw’s 3rd championship of her career).   Michael Wholey is the Senior Scout of <a href="http://www.x.com/PGHFlorida">Prep Girls Hoop Florida</a> and he can be reached directly at <a href="mailto:WholeyPrepHoops@gmail.com">WholeyPrepHoops@gmail.com</a> or on <a href="http://www.x.com/WholeyPrepHoops">Twitter</a> or <a href="http://www.Instagram.com/WholeyPrepHoops">Instagram</a> at <a href="http://www.x.com/WholeyPrepHoops">@WholeyPrepHoops</a>.