Lexington Christmas Classic: 2023 Top Performers

A number of varsity and junior varsity girl's teams from across the state converged on Lexington High School as the home of the Wildcats hosted its first annual Christmas Classic. In spite of a few last-minute scheduling changes prior to the event’s Saturday tip-off, plenty of scintillating basketball was still played. Lexington utilized its old gym to host the junior varsity slate and its newer and larger gym for the varsity teams. Prep Girls Hoops made the drive out to Lexington for Saturday’s portion of the multi-day event. Here is a look at who stood out from the junior class. <strong>Dasia Ferguson – 2023 – Dorman HS</strong> – With still a healthy amount of 2021-22 regular season to go, Ferguson has been an important element in why the Cavaliers look to be one of the teams to beat in the 5A ranks. While making efficient passes herself, her defensive skillset includes the ability to deflect passes and affect an opposing team’s passing lanes. Ferguson will absorb contact, get to the free throw line and make her attempts from the charity stripe. She will also sink her shots from midrange as well. Ferguson concluded the Cavaliers’ game with South Pointe with a 13-point effort. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="256646" first="Zaria" last="Bell"] – 2023 – South Pointe HS</strong> – A key element in the Stallions’ upset victory over Dorman, the No. 1 ranked team in 5A, was its bench. Bell added to South Pointe’s depth and gave the Stallions quite the boost in the low post. Her rebounding was another factor in why South Pointe went from trailing 13-1 to the Cavaliers in the first half to the 64-50 victory the team earned. She was one of two Stallions that had at least one made shot from the field in all four frames (2022’s Jayda Givens was the other). Bell concluded the game with 10 points. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="172178" first="Peris" last="Smith"] – 2023 – North Augusta HS</strong> – In the Yellowjackets’ contest with Byrnes on Saturday, the Rebels concluded with a 46-31 scoring edge … a 46-31 edge over North Augusta’s star junior big. The question the Yellowjackets presented to the Rebels was, “How will you stop Smith?” and Smith ensured Byrnes had zero answers. Smith got the job done both around the rim and she also drew a good bit of contact which put her at the line a lot. She had the first Yellowjackets field goal and that set the tone for the remainder of the game. Smith can get creative with how she finishes around the rim and will bring down a good number of rebounds along with deflecting passes on defense. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366472" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/C4C9BA98-9574-4653-B6C1-2F61F9975CC5.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="176202" first="Kendahl" last="Spearman"] – 2023 – Emerald HS</strong> – Merv Rollinson is back coaching the Vikings after a one-year absence and Emerald’s 2021-22 rendition is spearheaded by a pair of standouts 2023s. Spearman is a consistent scorer. As active as she is on the court, she will draw a good bit of contact which can place her at the free throw line. Spearman will find lanes to the rim, is quick from one end of the floor to the other and has a midrange and 3-point shot as part of her offensive attack. She also provides shot blocking plus an ability to change directions with the ball along with recovering in case of a mishandle. She led the Vikings with 22 points against Spring Valley. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366471" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/8CD648F9-A7D4-4D73-B41B-A594392D6FF9.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="158945" first="Hailey" last="Chiles"] – 2023 – Emerald HS</strong> – The other of those 2023s is Chiles, who is in her first season with the Vikings after transferring from Greenwood. Chiles can handle the ball as if she were a point guard – considered to be an unconventional attribute for bigs. More conventional is how she converts on high-percentage shot opportunities in the low post as well as how she rebounds. Chiles gives a major boost to how Emerald moves the ball in addition to screen setting and will find herself at the right place and the right time for her team. In her team’s game with Spring Valley, she scored 14 points – 10 of which came in the first quarter. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366473" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/6D9BDB6F-458C-4EC0-9FD1-6E4616E84985.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="185433" first="Jaidah" last="Liebert"] – 2023 – Spring Valley HS</strong> – Following a couple of down seasons, it appears winning ways have returned to Spring Valley with Liebert as a major reason why that has been the case. Spring Valley’s 55-51 win over Emerald ran its record to 7-3 this season. Liebert will find driving lanes to attack the basket. Fittingly, she scored the first points of the game. She provides lots of hustle and on at least one occasion nearly corralled her own rebound off a missed shot. Liebert can hit her shots from long range as well. She finished Saturday’s game with 12 points. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366470" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/84A84289-2B88-4D4A-BFC8-7BE70F4698A4.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="264040" first="Madison" last="Entzminger"] – 2023 – Spring Valley HS</strong> – Sometimes, it is not how a player starts, but how one finishes … or should we say how one Entz. Entzminger was one of the five starters for the Vikings in its game with Emerald but was kept off the scoreboard throughout the first half. That changed in the second half as she played a key role in fueling a Spring Valley offensive surge that saw the Vikings defeat Emerald by a final score of 55-51. Entzminger can set up an offensive scheme in the halfcourt, get out in transition and make her shots from the free throw line. She finished with 11 points – including nine in the fourth quarter. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366474" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/6A5C9544-5DE2-446C-9034-669C08D93B7F.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="171784" first="Jenna" last="Yanity"] – 2023 – Lexington HS</strong> – While Garner and [player_tooltip player_id="171766" first="Alexis" last="Sexton"] receive the lion’s share of attention when mentioning the Wildcats, in many ways Yanity proves her value as the team’s X-factor – a third scorer that can take the load off No. 11 and No. 23. Yanity will shoot her fair share of 3-pointers and she too will switch on who she is defending. That 3-point shot is complimented by a knack for hitting her attempts from midrange and her active hands as a defender. She will draw contact and find her way to the free throw line, attack the basket and play perimeter defense. Yanity had 11 points vs. Wade Hampton. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366475" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/6470A071-4055-46C6-9DFA-6B4C86D6C522.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="171785" first="Lindsay" last="Garner"] – 2023 – Lexington HS</strong> – Wildcats coach Molly Goodrich has to admire the position her team’s offense is in – multidimensional that can get consistent production on a game-by-game basis from both the backcourt and frontcourt. Garner is the anchor for the Lexington frontcourt, and she proves that with her rebounding abilities as well as her skill for converting on high-percentage shot opportunities. She has no problems shooting over multiple defenders and she will win many of those efforts given she is a 6-foot-2 big. Garner will also draw contact and get to the free throw line. She had 15 points in Lexington’s contest against Wade Hampton.