Nickerson Classic Day 2 POTG Recap: Illmatic

Day 2 of the Nickerson Tournament at Noble & Greenough had multiple games that came down to players making big-time plays in crunch time. With everyone playing their second game in as many days, you could see that fatigue was settling in, and the contests came down to heart and grit. Below is a rundown of the top players from each game on Saturday.   Game 1 Dexter Southfield: 55 Northfield Mount Hermon: 42 Player of the Game: <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366277" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/2268E603-F7C2-4359-99F1-F93681EFEC16-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1639918606-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="266531" first="Sheyenne" last="Swain-Price"] - Dexter Southfield - 6’0’’ - PF - ’23 Swain-Price got whatever she wanted in the paint in the second half and helped Dexter Southfield create separation from NMH. This was a competitive back and forth game until Swain-Price dominated the glass and post. What I liked most about Swain-Price on Saturday was her passing. She recognized when and where the double team was coming from and made accurate kick-out passes, locating the deadly Dexter Southfield shooters.   Game 2: Tabor: 55 Hoosac: 51 Player of the Game: <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/1440AE74-26BF-4947-8D13-2AB62E554887-scaled-crop-1852x1216-1639918545.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366275" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/1440AE74-26BF-4947-8D13-2AB62E554887-scaled-crop-1852x1216-1639918545-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="266805" first="Sophia" last="Vital"] - Tabor - 5’3’’ - PG - ’23 All Vital did in the 2nd half was turn up the heat on both sides of the ball, and it helped close the deal against a gritty and tough Hoosac team. With 13 points, Vital did most of her damage in the 4th quarter. She hit a big three-pointer down the stretch and a couple of momentum-changing transition hoops. Vital’s defense was superb. Her pickpocketing ability and anticipation are elite, and she completely took over the game for Tabor.   Game 3: Brooks: 99 St. Andrews: 55 Player of the Game: <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/0A656763-C3BF-4B84-998C-1501F3B09CDD-scaled-crop-1852x1216-1639918463.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366273" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/0A656763-C3BF-4B84-998C-1501F3B09CDD-scaled-crop-1852x1216-1639918463-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="266795" first="Kendall" last="Eddy"] - Brooks - 5’8’’ - CG - ’23 Eddy finished with 35 points (including 5 three-pointers), and she could’ve eclipsed the 40 mark easily if she wanted to do so. What amazes me about Eddy is that all winter long, she is lethal shooting the ball from the outside. Her offensive efficiency is unprecedented, considering how many points she puts up on a nightly basis. With 33 points after three quarters, Eddy did more than enough to put herself in the conversation for a top 3 prospect in her class. Her start to the season has been nothing short of sensational.   Game 4: Kent: 60 Milton Academy:47 Player of the Game: <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DFDBA592-0599-4200-80B4-0DA8ABF5FA9D-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1639918377.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366271" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DFDBA592-0599-4200-80B4-0DA8ABF5FA9D-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1639918377-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="263788" first="Morgan" last="Lee"] - Kent - 6’4’’ - PF - ’22 Post dominance was a common theme Saturday, and no one did it quite like [player_tooltip player_id="263788" first="Morgan" last="Lee"]. There was no one on Milton Academy who had an answer for Lee and her strong 6’4’’ frame on the block. Not only that, but Lee stepped outside and banged a three-pointer from the top of the key comfortably. Lee is one of the best passing bigs I have seen. Her playmaking in the high post was excellent, and she saw the floor beautifully all game. Her unselfishness and willingness to find the open shooters and cutters were the key to Kent’s 13-point win.   Game 5: Noble & Greenough: 57 Loomis Chaffee: 49 Player of the Game: <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366268" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/402891D7-1B8B-4F5D-8F4F-468EECF29B27-scaled-crop-1660x1090-1639918298-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="269259" first="Nasi" last="Simmons"] - Nobles - 5’9’’ - SG - ’24 Simmons played the best game I have ever seen her play. She only had 10 points, but from watching Nobles this season, the best player usually is never the individual who leads the team in scoring. It is typically the person who sacrifices the most and does the little things to help the team win. Such as neutralizing explosive scoring Loomis Chaffee wing [player_tooltip player_id="263910" first="Carys" last="Baker"] who, after pouring in 30 points against Brooks Friday afternoon, had 13 points in the 1st quarter Saturday. Enter [player_tooltip player_id="269259" first="Nasi" last="Simmons"] to take on the challenge of stopping her, and Simmons limited Baker to 9 points the rest of the game. The defense, rebounding, and toughness Simmons displayed in Noble’s 8-point win changed the game’s complexity and was a significant reason why Noble found themselves victorious.