Skyhawk Holiday Classic: Hoop State Standouts
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A number of premier talents from the Tar Heel State went south to the Palmetto State to take part in the Skyhawk Holiday Classic. The multi-day event was hosted by Hammond School in Columbia, South Carolina. A number of North…
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Continue ReadingA number of premier talents from the Tar Heel State went south to the Palmetto State to take part in the Skyhawk Holiday Classic.
The multi-day event was hosted by Hammond School in Columbia, South Carolina. A number of North Carolina-based teams made the trip to the Midlands for what was an exciting few days of basketball right before the new year. Many South Carolina-based teams also took part.
We at Prep Girls Hoops were on site at Hammond School for Tuesday’s games. Here is a look at the noteworthy performances that came from a few of North Carolina’s brightest and best.
Shayana Portee – 2022 – Concord Academy – Portee is constantly in a sporting mood whenever her sneakers touch the basketball court. Another one of the starters for the Eagles in its game with Timberland, the Concord Academy senior guard finished with 12 points. She can certainly put points on the board with her skill of driving to the basket as well as with her 3-point shooting abilities, but will run point with efficiency and knows how to dish the rock out to an open teammate. Portee can make things happen on defense with her knack for getting steals as well as rejecting shots.
Zoey Ward Zoey Ward 5'11" | CG Concord Academy | 2023 State NC – 2023 – Concord Academy – Ward consistently wards off the opposition with her stellar play. A couple of months ago, it was announced that Ward picked up an offer from Division I Detroit of the Horizon League. Ward is an all-around talent and it is easy to see why she has collegiate interest. Ward got on the scoreboard in the early going against Timberland – she went for eight in the first quarter, then added on seven more for a total of 15 points for the game. She bolsters a team’s rebounding efforts, ball distribution and defense with her ability to collect steals and block shots.
Aliyah Corpening – 2023 – Asheville Christian Academy – The Lions faced off against an Irmo team that on paper, they should be favored to beat. Even with this, Corpening came up big for an Asheville Christian that only had one available on its bench. She managed to score from virtually anywhere on the floor. Corpening also drew contact and found her way to the free throw line where she made four of her six attempts in the contest with the Yellow Jackets. Corpening concluded the game with 24 points – including 22 in the first three quarter of a game that Asheville Christian had a tight grip on from opening tip to final buzzer.
Evangelia Paulk Evangelia Paulk 6'0" | SG Asheville | 2023 State NC – 2023 – Asheville Christian Academy – The nucleus of the Lions’ roster is comprised of juniors such as Paulk. Listed at 5-foot-11, she previously played for Asheville HS an now sports the green and blue of the Lions. Paulk managed to stay out of foul trouble in the Lions’ contest with South Carolina-based Irmo in addition to scoring 14 points. She also managed to draw contact which placed her at the free throw line where she made both of her tries from the foul line in the first quarter. Paulk is a highly sought after recruit with offers from Wofford, Appalachian State and Western Carolina.
Emma Larios Emma Larios 5'7" | CG Asheville Christian Academy | 2023 State NC – 2023 – Asheville Christian Academy – Have basketball, will score seemed to be the order of the day for Larios. She is another one of the standout juniors that comprise the roster for head coach John Williams’ squad. Larios only had one basket in the first quarter against Irmo, but made her presence known throughout the remainder of the game. Larios tallied 22 points – and those included a pair of made 3-pointers around the midpoint of the game. When Larios and the other two Lions juniors head to the college ranks in a couple of years, their shoes will be difficult to fill.
McKenzie Taylor – 2023 – Concord Academy – We hear that saying all the time in the sporting realm – it is not how one starts, but how one finishes. In the case of Taylor in the Eagles’ contest with the Wolves of South Carolina-based Timberland, it was how she “almost” finished. Taylor concluded the game with 10 points and seven of those occurred in the third quarter of action. She can put herself in position to grab rebounds and is a proficient scorer of the ball. Taylor can make accurate passes to her teammates and, as a defender, is a threat to collect steals.
Janiya Byrd – 2024 – Concord Academy – If one is a North Carolina basketball fan – and this state has plenty of them – one more than likely has heard of Byrd. Timberland, the South Carolina team based in its Lowcountry that the Eagles faced off against on Tuesday afternoon certainly heard of Byrd – and her 13 points that she scored en route to a 63-49 Eagles victory. She connected on a 3-pointer in the third quarter, but is a talented distributor of the ball and can collect a number of steals. Byrd also remained out of foul trouble for the game with only one personal foul whistled against her.