Brooks v. Tabor: The Avengers

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A Saturday trip to Marion, Massachusetts, was a must because the two best teams in New England were squaring off in the most anticipated matchup of the winter. Brooks traveled down to Tabor in a game loaded with the region’s best prospects. A rock fight to start, these two heavyweights traded blows in the 1st quarter leading to a 13-13 tie heading into the second. From there, it was all Brooks the rest of the way. The final score was 79-57, and some jaw-dropping performances took place. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Players of the Game: </strong> [caption id="attachment_379350" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/9B9AB7F7-6FA9-45C0-8A5B-32E728EA1DB1-crop-2045x1343-1642948592.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-379350" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/9B9AB7F7-6FA9-45C0-8A5B-32E728EA1DB1-crop-2045x1343-1642948592-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Produced4Soul[/caption] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="263832" first="Taina" last="Mair"] - 5’8’’ - PG - ’22</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="263799" first="Samantha" last="Dewey"] - 6’2’’ - PF - ’22</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="266795" first="Kendall" last="Eddy"] - 5’8’’ - CG - ’23</strong> &nbsp; <span style="font-weight: 400;">The Brooks big 3 were sensational Saturday afternoon, and their performance is more than just the raw stats. These prospects are wired differently than anyone I have seen in New England since covering the sport. They welcome adversity and obstacles with open arms and continue to elevate their games despite the disadvantages. A two-hour commute, packed and hostile crowd, and one of the most talented teams you’ll see staring Brooks in the face, and they won convicingly. </span> &nbsp; [caption id="attachment_379356" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/B65EC9BE-7FA6-44A0-AFBE-FD0E232B0DB7-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1642949239.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-379356" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/B65EC9BE-7FA6-44A0-AFBE-FD0E232B0DB7-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1642949239-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Produced4Soul[/caption] &nbsp; <span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="266795" first="Kendall" last="Eddy"] gave Brooks a nice halftime cushion with an absurd first-half offensive performance. The three-point barrage and mid-range shot creation were breathtaking, and she once again continues to look like the best junior in New England. Eddy led the game with 25 points and 4 three-pointers.</span> &nbsp; [caption id="attachment_379359" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/E54C5846-923C-4965-AA1C-5891057DEDAF-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1642949400.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-379359" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/E54C5846-923C-4965-AA1C-5891057DEDAF-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1642949400-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Produced4Soul[/caption] &nbsp; <span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="263799" first="Samantha" last="Dewey"] came alive in the third period, where she put up a stat line that most players struggle to post in a full game. She totaled 14 points and 8 rebounds, including a couple of threes. If Dewey is killing you from the perimeter, it’s a wrap. You have little to no shot of stopping Brooks because she also terrorizes her opponent in the paint. She ended the game with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds. </span> &nbsp; <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-379361" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/C1EA3CD5-4C15-4968-AA48-9310ABD4A64C-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1642949537-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Last but not least, the closer, [player_tooltip player_id="263832" first="Taina" last="Mair"], had another amazing performance and her second straight triple-double. Her 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists were the cherry on top of a big day. Mair’s facilitation in the first half, I thought, was spot-on. Her trust in her teammates and unselfishness helped Brooks pull away in the 2nd quarter. A quieter scoring night early led to a vociferous 4th quarter where she hit statement dagger three-pointers and mid-range dribble pull-ups that sent a clear message to Tabor and the rest of New England. [player_tooltip player_id="263832" first="Taina" last="Mair"] is the gatekeeper of New England and is the catalyst for the best team in the region.</span>