Nobles v. Rivers: The Escape Room

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Nobles grabbed a big 53-39 home win vs. Rivers Friday night, and it was highlighted by stellar team defense. The fast and athletic Nobles defenders stymied Rivers all game long and limited them from getting anything going on offense. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Player of the Game: </strong> <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/E97D2E7B-4B79-4AF3-8101-EF20CD8BBCDF-scaled-crop-1852x1216-1645372684.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-390184" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/E97D2E7B-4B79-4AF3-8101-EF20CD8BBCDF-scaled-crop-1852x1216-1645372684-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="266711" first="Chayil" last="Mauristhene"] - Nobles - 5’8’’ - CG - ’23</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Mauristhene jump started Nobles’ offense with 5 points in the first quarter (finished the game with 11), but her shutdown defense, hands down, was the biggest difference-maker in this matchup. Mauristhene held explosive playmaker and one of the region’s top ’23 prospects, [player_tooltip player_id="183924" first="Nina" last="Minicozzi"], to 2 points the entire game. Mauristhene was also switching onto bigger forwards and shutting them down. She won virtually every matchup throughout the game, and her lateral quickness made it near impossible for any ball handler to penetrate the lane and break downhill. That was one of the most impressive and dominating individual defensive performances I have seen all year. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Nobles Standouts: </strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-390185" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/71A639AA-A10D-48BF-B697-8B9F92C64D61-crop-1109x728-1645372719-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="269259" first="Nasi" last="Simmons"] - 5’9’’ - SG - ’24</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Simmons had a good night on both sides of the ball. Her jump shot continues to improve, specifically off the dribble. She finished with 8 points and had an impactful defensive second half for Nobles. Simmons had a couple of big blocks in the 3rd and 4th quarter, including one on an aggressive closeout to alter a Rivers three-point attempt. It seemed like every time Rivers made a run to get back in the game, Simmons made a momentum-altering play. </span> &nbsp; <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-390188" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/673F8095-1D79-4037-AAB4-1F99099FFE3F-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1645372842-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="269141" first="Tahira" last="Muhammad"] - 5’9’’ - CG - ’24</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Muhammad came into the game and was instant energy off the bench. She was all over the place defensively, and her lightning-quick hands disrupted the flow of the Rivers offense. Muhammad had a good offensive game, too. She put up an efficient 8 points and moved the ball beautifully, registering a couple of nice assists in transition. </span> &nbsp; <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-390190" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/2581A0A6-68DD-4216-A1C7-E1DC80297ACA-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1645372919-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="356271" first="Tori" last="Balser"] - 5’9’’ - SG/SF - ’24</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Balser led Nobles in scoring with 14 points and hit some of the biggest shots of the night. Her timely threes in the second half killed Rivers’ momentum when they were inching their way back in the game. Balser is a great glue piece for Nobles. She defends at a high level, is an excellent rebounder for her size, and quietly puts up double-digit scoring games consistently. </span> &nbsp; <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-390192" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/4D5E3574-D184-4C2D-B0BA-F2B54B39B686-scaled-crop-1706x1121-1645373009-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="273929" first="Christina" last="Pham"] - 5’7’’ - PG - ’25</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Pham does whatever it takes to win. Most of her impact isn’t reflected on the stat sheet, but she played a significant role in Thursday’s win. Her help defense was on point, and she was the loudest player on the court. Pham communicated the entire game and won her individual matchup on defense. Pham also facilitated the Nobles’ offense well. She made smart decisions with the ball, got her teammates involved early in the game, and trusted them to make plays in critical moments in the second half.</span>