Battle for the Top Spot: Greater Metro 4A

It was quite a battle between the top two teams of the Greater Metro 4A. Lake Norman won this first contest against Hickory Ridge 52 to 47. Hickory Ridge doesn’t have to wait a long time for the rematch as they will meet again this Saturday. These are the players that you should keep your eyes on. Let’s start with the athletes from Lake Norman. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/Kirsten-Lewis-Williams-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1643836621.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-383601 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/Kirsten-Lewis-Williams-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1643836621-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="254584" first="Kirsten" last="Lewis-Williams"] (G, 2023) continues to show off her athleticism taking the ball coast to coast with ease breaking ankles along the way. Defenders seem to pay when they underestimate her ability to score on solo fast breaks. She gets inside to grab rebounds even putting back up second chance opportunities. She has a nice step back jumper that is difficult to defend. On defense, she anticipates passes accelerating at just the right moment to knock the ball away. She finished with 24 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. [player_tooltip player_id="275962" first="Aly" last="Wadkovsky"] (pictured above, PF, 2022) is dominant inside using her post moves and battling through contact to get some points. She had a couple old fashioned three point plays in the game setting the tone for her team. Her IQ is already prepared for college the way she knows how to move the ball, relocate for a better position, and get ready for the pass again. She finished with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/Addison-Sirianni-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1643836686.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-383603 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/Addison-Sirianni-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1643836686-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="288423" first="Addison" last="Sirianni"] (Lake Norman, G, 2025) was a crucial piece on defense as she played most of the game guarding the opponents’ top scorer holding her scoreless in the first half. She held a player who averages over 14 points a game to 7 points from the field. Now, take a look at Hickory Ridge. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/Gabreyel-Cook-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1643836748.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-383605 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/Gabreyel-Cook-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1643836748-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="295025" first="Gabreyel" last="Cook"] (G, 2022) was given the task of guarding her opponents’ best player and she certainly showed the ability to slow her down and prevent her from getting anywhere near the basket in set offenses. She didn’t shy away from guarding taller opponents inside showing her versatility on that side of the court. She is quick hustling down the court on fast breaks scoring well in transition. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/Sheree-Gidney-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1643836800.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-383607 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/Sheree-Gidney-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1643836800-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="252850" first="Sheree" last="Gidney"] (PF, 2024) was putting on a post move clinic with her moves in the paint to score some points. She would use fakes to drive around her opponent, or she would show off some up and under moves to get her points. Also, she was hustling up and down the court scoring in transition with ease. She finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/Jasmine-Fearne-crop-828x544-1643836874.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-383609 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/Jasmine-Fearne-crop-828x544-1643836874-300x197.png" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="206410" first="Jasmine" last="Fearne"] (SF, 2022) came off the bench ready to ball out. She scored from deep right away, and she wasn’t shy about faking her opponents to drive around them to score two points. She was instrumental in helping the Raging Bulls grab rebounds, and her arms were constantly knocking the ball away on defense to grab steals or slow down the opponents’ offense. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/Alyssa-Lewis-crop-828x544-1643836961.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-383611 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/Alyssa-Lewis-crop-828x544-1643836961-300x197.png" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="253285" first="Alyssa" last="Lewis"] (G, 2023) is a ball player who always finds ways to contribute. She is constantly looking up the court for her teammates cutting to the basket on fast breaks even if it’s with a full court pass. She does a great job driving to the hoop dropping the nice dish to her teammate on the block for some points. She would grab rebounds and take it right up the court even knocking down a transition three pointer. She can certainly score by the basket herself, too, taking the ball coast to coast. She finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. [player_tooltip player_id="322072" first="Kaitlyn" last="Walters"] (G, 2022) hit some big time three pointers in the matchup as she seemed to enjoy silencing the home crowd and energizing her team’s bench. She can certainly take the ball all the way to the rim herself, and she doesn’t back away from contact if it stands in her way. She did well setting up her teammates for their own points, too.