<span style="font-size: 12pt;">This Nationally recognized showcase on the boys side has came over to the girls side for the first year highlighting in this event the top players that played. The participating teams in this first year we’re Gahanna Lincoln, Laurel High School, Richmond Heights, Shaw, Gilmour Academy, Trinity, Brush, John Hay, Mentor, Buchtel rounded out all the High school teams in the first year of the CMI girls event.</span>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="157687" first="Mahogany" last="Cottingham"] 5’8, 2023, Trinity High School</span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Logo Mahogany" is the name she got in the invitational for a big-time logo shot made. Although her team did not get the win she impressed on both ends of the floor. She plays basketball and is good at it. Cottingham can shoot it and has displayed a quick step blowing by her defenders that always forced the help side. She is having a great season and taking on a lot. </span></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="157686" first="Mari" last="Bickley"] 5’10, 2023, Laurel High School</span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">She will get every team’s best shot every time she steps on the floor and it does not put fear in her. Bickley had a few electrifying plays that sparked the gators. She does not disappoint and uses her size and physical ability the right way. Bickley can’t be stopped even when she’s slowed down she figures it out. She is a problem and has done a great job leading the gators. Bickley is a top notch player that shows up every game and to get her team the win she did what she needed to do. </span></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="217351" first="Aaliyah" last="Younger"] 5’3, 2024, Gahanna Lincoln</span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">She can’t get any “ Younger” Aaliyah is a pure shooter with a good motor. Younger is a very confident Scoring point guard. She makes others around her better and she takes her opportunities when they come. Younger is a calm player that communicates well with her coach and has a good IQ for the game of basketball. She put on a shooting clinic. Younger is fun to watch and her emotions bring the right energy to girls basketball. </span></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lanae Hart 5’11, 2022, Shaw High School</span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I wish Lanae’s last name was spelled “ Heart” because throughout the year she has played with it. Hart is a physical post player that finishes around the rim. She can rebound and force double teams sometimes triples. Hart dominated in the game at the invitational and she was dominant with the ball and without the ball. She has the potential to impact the game at the next level with continued improvements in areas of her post game. </span></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Taylor Johnson-Matthew 5’8, 2022, Brush High School</span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Scoring at will is something Taylor can do. Johnson-Matthews is a 2022 commit of Wright State and will bring her play-making ability to the next level. She can score on three levels and is physical. Taylor Johnson lets her game do the talking and doesn’t say much. She is improving as the season is going on. A Wright State Commit will bring a load of tricks with her to the next level.</span></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Breanna Berwald 5’4, 2022, Mentor High School</span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Berwald was not the leading scorer, but she was the hardest worker out there for the cardinals. She has a consistent motor and does a good job communicating. A floor leader and plays the game the right way. </span></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nicci Finazzo 5’4, Gilmour Academy High School</span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Finazzo is a hard worker. She knocks down shots she is supposed to and plays very unselfish. Finazzo is coachable and puts her teammates in positions to be successful. She brings a lot of good energy to her team displaying unselfishness and playing with passion. </span></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jada Hairston 6’0, 2022, John Hay High School </span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Eyes all on Jada that passes the eye test and is strong. Hairston has high flying shot-blocking ability and uses that to her advantage on the rebounding side. She is in her last year and an opportunity will come to her with the athletic ability that she has. </span></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Cherrish Maxwell 5’3, 2024, Richmond Heights High School </span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Maxwell is a very aggressive player that can defend. She has the type of passion you want on your team and plays from start to finish. Maxwell is a young guard that has the potential to make things happen and as she continues playing she will do just that. </span></h2>
<h2><em><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Other Notable players at the invitational: </span></strong></em></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Helen Holly 2024, Laurel High School</span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Holly is athletic and uses her long frame to rebound and finish around the basket well. She has the shot-blocking ability and in 1-2 dribbles is hard stopping. She gives her team extra possessions with her ability to grab rebounds on the offensive end. She forces teams to double teams and forces teams into bad decisions with her length defensively. </span></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kylie Maxwell 6’1, 2023, Mentor High School</span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">New to mentor, but not playing the game of basketball. She has a good motor and gets up and down the floor. Maxwell is a strong and athletic player. She finishes well around the rim and shoots the mid-range well. Maxwells’ length makes it difficult for teams and she doesn’t give up. She is a player that passes the eye test and handles business in the post. </span></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="316712" first="Brooklynn" last="Vickers"] 5’3, 2024, Brush High School</span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Vickers is a pass-first point guard that makes others around her better. She is a floor general and communicates with her teammates getting them in the right positions and talking them through things. Vickers had a great game and is a full-court defender that is very difficult for teams to get in their offense. She can knock it down from the perimeter and is a physical defender. </span></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Asianae Nicholson 6’1, 2022, Brush High School</span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nicholson is a different breed. She has the length like very few in this state and her athletic leaping ability is impressive. She hit a few big shots for her teammates in the mid-range and behind the perimeter. Nicholson has a complete game that allows her to defend the 1-5 with her length. She is a difficult person to guard. Nicholson finishes around the rim and plays hard. </span></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="216101" first="Clarke" last="Jackson"] 5’8, 2023, Gahanna Lincoln high school </span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jackson played physical all game. She made an impact grabbing rebounds and displaying her scoring ability. Jackson sealed the game with big time free throws showing her ability to face adversity. She is a player that looks and plays athletic making impressive plays for her team. </span></h2>
<h2><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="312659" first="Lauryn" last="Stover"] 5’11, 2022, Gilmour Academy </span></strong></h2>
<h2><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Stover has a high basketball IQ. She takes the right shots and knows how to put herself and others in a great place. Stover has great length making her deflection ability and team defense look good. Committed to Purdue ( Fort Wayne) Lauryn’s length and versatility on defense along with her shooting ability was huge for her team and has been all season. </span></h2>
<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="270524" first="Laila" last="Marshall"] 5’8, 2023. Gahanna Lincoln</strong>
<h2><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Marshall is a shooter that plays are ran through because of her high level shooting ability. She is a physical player that does a good job creating space from her defenders. Marshall is a confident player and does a good job getting to the basket and finishes when one area of her game needs the confidence. She is on the radar of schools and watching her the game she plays is a sight to see.</span></h2>
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