Skyhawk Holiday Classic: 2024-25

December – and the calendar year – is a few days away from coming to a close. That means many things – reflection on the old year, new year’s resolutions and end-of-year basketball tournaments. Hammond School in Columbia hosted the Skyhawk Holiday Classic. The home campus of the Skyhawks utilized its two courts to play host to a multitude of games that featured a number of girls and boys teams throughout both Carolinas. We at Prep Girls Hoops were on site on Tuesday at Hammond School for that day’s action. A good number of sophomores and freshmen were as well with their games on point. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="239707" first="Ariana" last="Johnson"] – 2024 – Wilson HS</strong> – Johnson had to make the Midland Valley defense feel as if there was more than one of her on the court with the plays she made all over the floor. When it appeared that the Mustangs were beginning to pull away with the game, Johnson put her quickness in the transition game to work, allowing the Tigers to claw back into it with the Mustangs. Johnson can get crafty as a ball handler, can get from one end of the floor to the other and make heads up hustle plays. She is a lockdown defender who makes things difficult for opposing ball handlers and can pry the ball from said ball carrier’s hands. Johnson can score from anywhere on the floor – including from midrange and long range. She had 12 points in the Tigers’ game with Midland Valley. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="262015" first="Da’sani" last="Kinlaw"] – 2024 – Timberland HS</strong> – Prep Girls Hoops noticed Kinlaw recently as well as the rest of the Wolves prior to Christmas at the She Got Next Christmas Classic at Aiken High School. Her game against the Eagles of Concord Academy can be described as seesaw. She had four points in the first quarter – second only to [player_tooltip player_id="368645" first="Makayla" last="Watkins"]’ (2023) six. Then, she was held scoreless in the second and third frames before connecting on a few free throw attempts in the closing stanza. When all was said and done, the Wolves’ sophomore concluded her game with an 11 point outing. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="185222" first="Samira" last="Khalil"] – 2024 – Hammond School</strong> – When playing the Skyhawks, coaches typically try to devise a game plan to stop [player_tooltip player_id="124096" first="Tyra" last="Myers"] (2022, St. Francis-Brooklyn). Hammond took on Camden on Tuesday and the Bulldogs were met with a barrage of 3-pointers courtesy of No. 1. Kalil had four made treys – two of which came in the first quarter. Her first points – as well as first basket of the game came via a transition layup where she was fouled and made her ensuing free throw try. At one point in the first quarter, the Skyhawks had 10 points of which all came from her. Khalil will also hustle to save the ball from going out of bounds to maintain Hammond possession and will attract double teams. Khalil scored 22 points against Camden. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-370531" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/B9991761-0A7B-4E0B-AA1C-2E66CB8ECE13.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="171798" first="Joyce" last="Edwards"] – 2024 – Camden HS</strong> – No. 24 scored 19 points in the Bulldogs’ victory over host school Hammond. In short, [player_tooltip player_id="171798" first="Joyce" last="Edwards"] did many a [player_tooltip player_id="171798" first="Joyce" last="Edwards"] thing on Tuesday afternoon. Camden was not even on the original schedule for the Skyhawk Holiday Classic, but that did not stop Edwards from showcasing why she has been courted by so many Division I colleges. Edwards established herself early and often as she made a lot of high-percentage baskets near the rim in addition to grabbing a number of defensive and offensive rebounds. She ran the floor well, played defense, assisted on double teams, and will come from out of nowhere to do work on the glass. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="195518" first="Deanna" last="Jeffcoat"] – 2024 – Camden HS</strong> – In the Bulldogs’ 58-49 victory over host school Hammond, Camden knocked down a total of five 3-pointers. In that same victory, Jeffcoat knocked down the five treys. Her skillset, of course, goes past her pinpoint accuracy from downtown. She plays lots of heads up basketball and puts her wingspan to use on the defensive side of the floor. Jeffcoat also moves the ball well. Those five made 3-pointers accounted for all of her points – 15. Nine of those points (three of those made shots from behind the arc) came in the third quarter of play. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="175325" first="Morgan" last="Champion"] – 2025 – Camden HS</strong> – For many a hooper, being left off the scoreboard after the first half of play can be frustrating and demoralizing. For Champion, she knew the points would come and they did. Champion scored 11 points – all of which came in the second half. Out of those 11, seven came in the third quarter of a game against host school Hammond where the Bulldogs outscored the Skyhawks 26-12 in the frame. Champion can hit 3-pointers as well as hit her freebies from the free throw line. As one of the five starters for coach Natalie Jeffcoat-Norris’ Bulldogs, she stayed out of foul trouble having only two personals called against her. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="176612" first="Zhykera" last="Brown"] – 2025 – Legacy Early College</strong> – Brown was one of five Legacy Early College players to manage seven points when the Lions took on the Lower Richland Diamond Hornets. What distinguished hers is how she did so off of what was a thin Lions bench that only had her and one other player. Brown is a lockdown defender and has a knack for making plays near the rim. She will also shoot from midrange and long range as she displayed in the fourth quarter when she drained a 3-point shot. Brown’s made triple was one of four made shots from downtown that Legacy Early College had for the game.