Who Were the Top Senior Performers (Part 2) in Lakeland?

Who Were the Top Senior Performers (Part 2) in Lakeland? By Michael Wholey 3/7/21 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 Senior performers were.   [player_tooltip player_id="91486" first="Christen" last="McCann"] (Lincoln Park Academy) 5’8 Guard In the semi-final matchup, McCann single handedly willed Lincoln Park Academy to the win. Versus American Heritage Delray, the 5’8 guard scored an impressive 34 points playing all 32 minutes shooting 9/21 from the field (4/7 from 3) and went 12/13 from the FT line. The 34 points were more than 75% of her team’s points, as Lincoln Park Academy defeated American Heritage 48-37 to advance to the 4A state championship game. In the championship game, McCann and Lincoln Park experienced what a number of teams experienced all season playing the Highlanders, a deep roster and a stifling defender, as Lincoln Park fell 84-30. McCann finished with 12 points, wrapping up a stellar high school career and bringing the Greyhounds record breaking season to an end finishing with a 20-2 record and a state runner up.   <img class="size-medium wp-image-91622 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2019/09/Jasmyne-Roberts-300x235.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="235" />[player_tooltip player_id="91482" first="Jasmyne" last="Roberts"] (Bishop Kenny) 5’11 Wing Roberts wrapped up an illustrious high school career with a tough semi-final matchup vs Lake Highland Prep. The University of Miami signee did all she could playing all 32 minutes scoring 12 points on 5/12 from field to go along with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. It was a tough matchup as Lake Highland Prep defeated Bishop Kenny 44-32. In the end, Roberts had a big time Senior season averaging 21 points to go along with 9 rebounds a game and a was big reason behind Bishop Kenny’s last 4 years of success. She is a versatile perimeter player who is a skilled scorer and uses her size vs smaller defenders very well.   <img class=" wp-image-208827 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/Andrea-Daley5-2019-PC-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="175" height="263" />[player_tooltip player_id="91494" first="Andrea" last="Daley"] (Miami Country Day) 6’1 Forward Daley has been getting it done all season for Miami Country Day putting her athleticism and constant activity on the glass! In Miami Country Day’s semi-final matchup vs Brooks DeBartolo, Daley scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on extremely efficient night from the field shooting 88% (8/9). Look for Daley to have an encore performance as the championship game was delayed till next week due to COVID-19 guidelines and has a tough matchup vs Cardinal Mooney’s 6’4 [player_tooltip player_id="91637" first="Jordyn" last="Byrd"]. Daley is an elite athlete who runs the floor like a gazelle, is a persistent rebounder on both the offensive and defensive end and is a matchup nightmare who can play inside and out!   [player_tooltip player_id="145105" first="Brionna" last="McClinton"] (Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate) 5’9 Guard / Wing Brooks DeBartolo has relied on a balanced scoring attack all season and the semi-final matchup was no different. Unfortunately, BDCS ran into a buzz saw in Miami Country Day who stifling defense limited Brooks DeBartolo to 44 points on 32% shooting. McClinton was one of two Lady Phoenix that managed to reach double digits scoring 10 points on 4/10 shooting. The 5’9 wing has been solid all season for Brooks DeBartolo utilizing her length and athleticism on both ends of the floor and being a big part of the programs past 4 years of success.   <img class=" wp-image-252340 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/02/Gabby-2019-NYC-300x300.png" alt="" width="226" height="226" />[player_tooltip player_id="91546" first="Gabriela" last="Bendeck"] (Miami Christian) 5’4 Guard Bendeck put together one of the top individual performances in Lakeland leading Miami Christian to a 2A State Championship. Across two games she shot 58% from the field and 80% from the free throw line averaging 26 points per game in Lakeland. In the semi-final matchup vs a tough, gritty City of Life squad, the 5’4 guard scored 20 points on 5/9 from field and 10/11 from FT line while also grabbing 9 rebounds and dropping 7 assists. The unsigned Senior might have saved her best performance for last following up the 20 point effort in the semi-final matchup with 31 point, 12 rebound, 3 assist, and 3 steal effort in Miami Christian’s 73-63 victory over Florida A&M. She is a fearless competitor who plays with a fire in her belly and is determined to get to the rim every time she puts the ball to the floor.   <img class="size-medium wp-image-91615 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2019/09/Erin-Turral-300x172.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="172" />[player_tooltip player_id="91480" first="Erin" last="Turral"] (Florida A&M) 5’3 Guard The semi-final matchup be 5’3 [player_tooltip player_id="91480" first="Erin" last="Turral"] and 5’4 [player_tooltip player_id="91546" first="Gabriela" last="Bendeck"] was interesting one to say the least. When all was said and done they shot 55 shots, 26 free throws, grabbed 19 rebounds and scored 67 points between the two of them! Turral scored 36 points on 40 shots, shooting 15/40 from the field. She is one of the state’s most accomplished scorers, recently surpassing 4,000 career points. The 5’3 guard is headed to Stony Brook next year, looking to bring her prolific scoring to New York and the American East Conference.   <img class="size-medium wp-image-208654 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/48-Ambar-Ramirez.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />[player_tooltip player_id="244207" first="Ambar" last="Ramirez"] (Miami Christian) 5’5 Guard Ramirez was perfect in the semi-final matchup vs City of Life going 5/5 from the field and 4/4 from the free throw line for 15 points. She followed that up with an 8 point and 4 rebound performance in the championship game win vs Florida A&M. The 5’5 guard is strong and can play 1-3. She does a good job getting into the paint and can finish at the rim as well as pull up showcasing a solid mid-range game.   Michelle Neal (Ponce De Leon) 5’6 Guard Neal was 4/11 from field for 13 points to go along with 5 steals in 24 minutes in Ponce De Leon 40-37 championship game victory over Hawthorne to take home the 1A FHSAA State Championship. Throughout the season, Neal has been consistent all year as the teams 4th leading scorer but the 5’6 guard stepped up when her team needed her most. She was the squads lone double-digit scorer leading in points with 13 and the Pirates needed all of those points to pull out the narrow 3 point victory in the championship game!   Lily Brooks (Ponce De Leon) 5’6 Guard Brooks set the pace for Ponce De Leon all season, leading the team with 15.3 points per game. In the semi-final matchup, she nearly doubled her season average going 9/15 from field (5/7 from 3) for 25 points in the 52-38 win over Port St Joe. It was an impressive balanced scoring attack showcasing Brooks outside shooting as overall she shot 50% from 3 in Lakeland and was key in helping Ponce De Leon take home the 1A State Championship!   [player_tooltip player_id="91484" first="Mya" last="McGraw"] (Hawthorne HS) 6’3 Forward McGraw did what she could for Hawthorne scoring 17 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in the 1A championship game vs Ponce De Leon. Unfortunately Hawthorne came up 3 points short, losing to Ponce De Leon 40-37. The 6’3 Forward is headed to UNC-Charlotte on a full scholarship next year and will suit up for the Charlotte 49’ers next season. She is a major presence in the paint on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. She has good strength and mobility for a big and can score around the rim. Jayla Williams (Hawthorne HS) 5’7 Guard Jayla was instrumental in leading Hawthorne to the championship game, scoring more than half of her teams points in the 43-32 win over Trenton. Williams finished with 25 points on 6/8 shooting and 11/13 from free throw line to go along with 5 rebounds. It was one of the tournament’s top offensive performances and without it, Hawthorne would not have made it to the championship game. The 13 free throw attempts were an attribute to her aggressiveness and willingness to attack the rim and draw contact.   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>.