Game Recap: Carrollwood Day @ Brooks DeBartolo

The most wonderful time of the year is here - Playoff Basketball! I headed to Brooks DeBartolo last night to catch a rematch between two of Tampa’s best teams in CDS and Brooks. BDCHS got the best of CDS in the district championship, but we saw a very different outcome this game with CDS coming back to win by a low-score of 31-30. Here is a breakdown by quarter: <em><strong>Q1: Brooks DeBartolo - 6, Carrollwood Day - 1</strong></em> The first quarter was a bit slow and sloppy by both teams on offense. CDS guards looked timid against the pressure that [player_tooltip player_id="243947" first="Tyra" last="Kennedy"], [player_tooltip player_id="91581" first="Jaela" last="Davis"], and [player_tooltip player_id="166174" first="Maia" last="Lewers"] were putting on them. There were definitely a lot of nerves in this rematch, and it showed in the first quarter. The only two field goals in this quarter were a pull-up jumper by Jaela and a nice floater by Maia. <em><strong>Q2: Brooks - 17, CDS - 5</strong></em> The second quarter started to pick up....for Brooks DeBartolo. [player_tooltip player_id="248347" first="Nina" last="Green"] came in for a temporarily injured Jaela towards the end of Q1, and she put up 6 points in that first half which led the game in scoring at that time. Brooks continued to pressure and make life difficult for those CDS guards that couldn’t find a good shot or any open post feeds. Overall, it was a sloppy first half that neither team played well in. <em><strong>Q3: Brooks - 19, CDS - 15</strong></em> The third quarter is when the game started to rev up for the Patriots. They outscored the Phoenix 10-2 in this quarter to bring them back into this game. They had it down to a 2-point game before Brooks hit their first and only score of the quarter by [player_tooltip player_id="166174" first="Maia" last="Lewers"]. CDS finally got the ball inside to [player_tooltip player_id="349386" first="LeighAnn" last="Hanley"], and [player_tooltip player_id="219928" first="Leah" last="Barnes"] started to look comfortable driving the ball in the hostile environment. <em><strong>Final: CDS - 31, Brooks 30</strong></em> The fourth quarter is what everyone thought the entire game would look like. Points were being scored, steals were being made, the crowd was yelling, and it once again felt like two of the best teams in 3A were playing against each other. Brooks had control of the first half of the quarter with a 6 point lead, but we all know how quickly a possession or two can change a basketball game. CDS cut it to a one possession game with 3:30 left and hung around until [player_tooltip player_id="219928" first="Leah" last="Barnes"] could finish on a 3-point play that gave them their first lead of the game with 21 seconds left, 31-29. Brooks got to the line, but only connected on 1 of 2 to make it a 31-30 game. BDCHS did have the ball at the end of the game, but they couldn’t get a good look at a shot for the win. Carrollwood Day will travel to Cardinal Mooney on Friday in the regional final and a chance to play in Lakeland. <hr /> Here is a look at some of the players in the Regional Semifinal barn burner: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="219928" first="Leah" last="Barnes"] - CDS</strong> Leah was the only player in the entire game that scored double digits. She finished with 12 points with 10 of those coming in the second half. I feel like she grew a lot as a player tonight in a game like this where she really put the team on her back. The Sophomore did a great job of getting to the rim and finishing through contact. Her FT shooting was shaky in the first half, but she adjusted and hit a couple big ones in the second half. She does a nice job of keeping her dribble low with how tall/lengthy she is. They’ll need her to step up again in Sarasota. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="349386" first="LeighAnn" last="Hanley"] - CDS</strong> The Sophomores really stepped up for Carrollwood Day last night. LeighAnn was somewhat quiet offensively in the first half, but she made big plays all game long. Her height is always going to be a factor on both ends of the floor, especially on the boards. She can shoot it from outside with nice form/rotation, but she started to get some feeds inside where she’s really hard to contain. CDS will need her as Cardinal Mooney has the uber-athletic [player_tooltip player_id="91637" first="Jordyn" last="Byrd"]. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="248836" first="Carlee" last="Janikowski-Warden"] - CDS</strong> Carlee really brought some energy in the second half for the Patriots. She had 5 really big points in the fourth quarter and did a good job working the paint on both ends. <strong>Ceniya King - CDS</strong> Ceniya is one of the best shooters in the area, and she got some nice looks last night but there were just off the mark. Look for her to hit some big time shots against Mooney. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="248611" first="Ka’Yanti" last="Burden"] - CDS</strong> Yanti looked a little timid with that pesky Phoenix defense, but she settled in late and took care of the ball by getting it up the floor. The Senior will have to be huge in Sarasota. <hr /> <strong>Skye McCloud - Brooks DeBartolo</strong> Skye led the team in scoring and was really tough around the hoop against a tall CDS team. She had some really good looks and opportunities by using her body, but not much was falling for either team last night. She will be back for one more year of HS ball. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="248347" first="Nina" last="Green"] - Brooks DeBartolo</strong> Nina has really improved her game over the course of the season. She was sprung into action when Jaela suffered a temporary neck injury on a foul, and Nina knocked down both free throws. I really like how fundamentally sound she is with some nice box outs and hustle that led to some steals and offensive boards. Nina plays somewhat of a complimentary role, but that will change as the Sophomore heads into her upperclassmen years. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="247224" first="Alaina" last="Williams"] - Brooks DeBartolo</strong> Alaina was quiet until the 4th quarter, but this game wouldn't have been nearly as close if they didn't have her down low. She's the only player they have over 5'9", so CDS didn't get much done inside with her presence. Look for her to have a big senior year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91581" first="Jaela" last="Davis"] - Brooks DeBartolo</strong> It's disappointing to see one of the best players in the area go out like this, but what a career she had. Last night, she took a couple of charges and had some nice hustle plays that kept them alive. She is a big reason why Brooks has seen so much success in her time there, so there's no reason to hang her head. I'm excited to see what Jaela has planned after a really good HS career. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="243947" first="Tyra" last="Kennedy"] - Brooks DeBartolo</strong> Tyra made an immediate impact when she came to Brooks. She saw the floor well last night and put a ton of pressure on the CDS ball handlers. Watch out for her this summer and during her Senior season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="166174" first="Maia" last="Lewers"] - Brooks DeBartolo</strong> Maia had a full-court pass last night that looked like it came straight from TB12's hands. She plays hard on both ends and her game is always improving. It will be interesting to watch her during the summer and also during her Senior year on a Brooks team full of young playmakers. &nbsp; <em>You can catch Carrollwood Day at Cardinal Mooney on Friday in the regional final and a chance to play in Lakeland.</em> &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong>Brandon Fisher</strong> is a Senior Scout for Prep Girls Hoops Florida and a Regional Scout for the PGH Circuit. If you have any information on players or teams, please email Brandon at brandonpghfl@gmail.com or DM him through Twitter/Instagram at @BrandonPGHFL.