Nickerson Classic POTG Recap: Mancini Magic

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Nickerson Classic kicked off Friday afternoon at Noble &amp; Greenough. Featuring some of the top NEPSAC programs in New England, the day was filled with competitive games and big-time performances. Below is a rundown of the day’s top player from each game. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Game 1: </strong> <strong>St. Andrews: 69</strong> <strong>Milton Academy: 29</strong> <strong>Player of the Game: </strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366026" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/7339B1E8-D085-4B25-B0C8-874D0DE0E5D1-scaled-crop-1660x1090-1639835311-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="279087" first="Jamisen" last="Hill"] - St. Andrews -  5’10’’ - SG - ’23</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Hill finished in double-figures with 10 points and got them all off attacking the rim and second chance putbacks. Her defense was outstanding. Hill put suffocating pressure on opposing point guard Sydney Hyacinthe and took her completely out of the game. Hill has all the tools of a dominant two-way player, and she kicked off the Nickerson Classic by showing what kind of game-changer she can be for St. Andrews. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Game 2: </strong> <strong>Brooks: 60</strong> <strong>Loomis Chaffee: 58</strong> <strong>Player of the Game: </strong> <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/EF0DAA13-4F97-441E-9FE1-45B9C010FC9D-scaled-crop-1852x1216-1639835441.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366028" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/EF0DAA13-4F97-441E-9FE1-45B9C010FC9D-scaled-crop-1852x1216-1639835441-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="263832" first="Taina" last="Mair"] - Brooks - 5’8’’ - PG - ’22</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">In one of the most exciting games of the day, Brooks needed every last one of Mair’s team-high 28 points to withstand the 4th quarter run by a resilient Loomis Chaffee team. She set the tone with 21 points in the first half and killed defenders with her penetration and transition playmaking. It was not the prettiest win for Brooks, but it seems like no matter the circumstance, Mair finds a way to get the team a victory. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Game 3: </strong> <strong>New Hampton: 48</strong> <strong>Marianapolis: 40</strong> <strong>Player of the Game:</strong> <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/1B423F27-616F-4D8A-AD33-C1C4D2F2C4F8-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1639835555.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366030" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/1B423F27-616F-4D8A-AD33-C1C4D2F2C4F8-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1639835555-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="267455" first="Mia" last="Mancini"] - New Hampton - 5’3’’ - PG - ’23</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">When it comes to 4th quarter performances, there is no one more reliable than Mancini. She proved again that when the game is in the balance, she will make a play on either side of the ball that is momentum shifting.  It wasn’t just her free throws at the end that iced the game but more so her poise and decision-making in high leverage situations that stand out. Mancini does not make crucial mistakes when the pressure is on. Her passing is crisper, her IQ increases, and she battles through fatigue as well as anyone. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Game 4:</strong> <strong>Tabor: 58</strong> <strong>Storm King: 32</strong> <strong>Player of the Game: </strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366034" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/040CD613-4633-4D9C-B879-AF38EC4FAACB-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1639835852-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="278899" first="Jessica" last="Ross"] - Tabor - 6’3’’ - ’24</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Ross played the most complete game of anyone on Friday. Finishing with a game-high 16 points, she did a little bit of everything Friday evening. No one runs the floor better than Ross does in her class, no one protects the rim better, and it is hard to find a stronger finisher from the  ’24 class. Ross proved that behind [player_tooltip player_id="266805" first="Sophia" last="Vital"], she is the second-best player on the team. She is an anchor on defense, and the offense is unstoppable when catching the ball 15 feet in. Ross is one of the biggest mismatches in NEPSAC. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Game 5: </strong> <strong>BCA: 69</strong> <strong>Rivers: 59</strong> <strong>Player of the Game: </strong> <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/3DE61320-834A-4CD2-98FC-41A7C1B767B9-scaled-crop-1852x1216-1639835930.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366036" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/3DE61320-834A-4CD2-98FC-41A7C1B767B9-scaled-crop-1852x1216-1639835930-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="269245" first="Kelian" last="Cedano"] - BCA - 5’9’’ - SG - ’24</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Cedano’s 19 points led the game, but her shot creation for her teammates was the difference in the team’s win. She did a good job penetrating the lane and finding open shooters throughout the game. BCA has one of the most explosive offenses in the NEPSAC, and with Cedano being the catalyst for the production of the other sharpshooting guards, it makes them hard to beat. She was also active on defense. Cedano was a difference-maker as a weak-side help defender.</span>