Somerset County Tournament Quarterfinal Surprises

We are now into the semifinals of the Somerset County Tournament with the quarterfinals having taken place on Tuesday. Here are some surprises that we saw during Tuesday's action. <strong>Abigail Lawrence (Jr.) - 5-11 C/PF, Immaculata</strong> Lawrence has been a much more consistent performer this season for Immaculata after coming off the bench as a sophomore. Her presence in the middle has been a major boost for a team that is looking to make some moves in the Skyland Conference. Lawrence has found success in using her height to her advantage, but her overall basketball skills have greatly increased within the season. Though Immaculata came up short against a strong Rutgers Prep team, Lawrence's ability to post up on the block has helped immensely on both sides of the ball. <strong>Mackenzie Anderson (So.) - 6-2 C/PF, Rutgers Prep</strong> On the other side of Tuesday's quarterfinal was Anderson, a tall forward who has seemed to find her footing on the floor and has flourished as a result. Right now, the Argonauts are using Anderson as more of a second big off the bench, but she's fit into that role seamlessly. We've seen her really grow into an excellent shot-blocker and in the win over Immaculata, Anderson had her fifth multi-block game of the season. The more confidence she can gain off opportunities created in the paint, the better she'll be down the road. Right now, Anderson is still finding her strengths as a player, but she's progressed well this season. <strong>Sophia Larsen (So.) - SG/SF, Bound Brook</strong> We've had the opportunity to talk about Larsen in previous articles and she put in another great game against Watchung Hills on Tuesday. While Larsen's stats didn't jump off the box score, we saw improvement in her passing and her defensive presence down low. She recorded her first multi-block game this season and turned into much more of a defensive asset in this game. Once Bound Brook got back on offense, her mindset turned into a facilitator and she fed open teammates and moved the ball well around the floor. Larsen helped to expand the court on the offensive side and threw Watchung Hills off-balance, allowing Bound Brook to separate early in the game. <strong>Sofia Squizziato (So.) - 5-7 PG/SG, Watchung Hills</strong> Squizziato has seen much more of the floor this season as one of Watchung Hills' best options off the bench. The additional time out on the floor has given her much more confidence and we've seen that come out more as the year has progressed. She had a balanced game overall on Tuesday, putting in some fantastic work on the defensive end. Squizziato was active both on and off-ball and played up on her opponent without getting too aggressive. There was a nice balance of intensity and smarts that contributed to a block and several steals for the sophomore guard. <strong>Iyanna Cotten (So.) - SG/PG, Franklin</strong> Cotten is in the midst of a breakout sophomore season for Franklin and this guard showed just how dangerous of a shooter she can be on Tuesday, knocking down a pair of three-pointers. Roughly a third of Cotten's scoring comes from beyond the arc, but she's able to generate scoring in a number of ways. The more of an offensive arsenal she has, the more she's able to take advantage of slip-ups from opponents. She's active on the defensive end just as much and her lock-down defense is something to really keep an eye on. Cotten can shut down opponents right from the dribble, trapping them into forcing a bad look or bad decision that immediately benefits Franklin the other way. <strong>Carey Smith (Sr.) - 5-9 PG/SG, Montgomery</strong> Smith has been an impressive player to watch over her high school career because of the improvements she's made in her game on an annual basis. Her statistical improvement year-to-year is not a mistake and this year, that leadership and success was a big reason for the No. 10 seeded Montgomery reaching the quarterfinals. Smith is a quick decision-maker and plays with a high basketball IQ. She's can both hit shots from the perimeter or make plays to get closer-range shots or find contact. Smith relies on that toughness, that grit on the offensive end to maximize every possession, and her quick thinking on the defensive end helps Montgomery immensely.