Under the Radar Playoff Performances

The First Coast produced some amazing basketball moments this Playoff Season. District Finals night and the First round of playoffs may go down as some of the greatest basketball nights in the history of girl’s basketball on the First Coast.   We have talked about and written about a lot of the performances of First Coast players,  but the playoffs on the First Coast also offered a glimpse of other top performers from around the State of Florida.   In this article, we look at some of the top players who took part in or crashed the First Coast basketball playoff  “party.” <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Pine Forest</strong></span> <strong><img class="size-medium wp-image-396564 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/20220218_202714-scaled-crop-1362x895-1646473307-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />[player_tooltip player_id="91603" first="Tahnyjia" last="Purifoy"] 2022, 5’0″ G (Pine Forest).</strong> Purifoy’s performance in the second round of the playoffs might be the most impressive performance I witnessed this year in the post-season.  She finished the game with 19 points, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 7 rebounds at Orange Park.   Purifoy’s quickness on the court is what really stood out.  She showed the ability to drive left and right and no one on the court had the speed or quickness to stay in front of her.  She got to the free-throw line 8 times and connected on all 8 free throws.   She was a blur on the courts and a nightmare matchup all game long.   When she wasn’t putting the ball in the basket, she was breaking the defense down and creating shots for her teammates.   The following week, Purifoy was at it again with 26 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds in the state semifinals in Lakeland. &nbsp; <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/20220218_202739-scaled-crop-1362x895-1646473022.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-396559 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/20220218_202739-scaled-crop-1362x895-1646473022-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>Niylia Wilkins 2024, 5’8″ G (Pine Forest).</strong> Wilkins put on a show in her game against Orange Park and the talented and “confident” Sophomore wasn’t shy about her performance either.   Wilkins was all over the court,  scoring 25 points and pulling down 14 rebounds from the guard position. Wilkins scored at all levels on the court.   She knocked down two three-pointers, but her ability to score around the basket was impressive.  Wilkins' mid-range game was very effective and she was also impressive on putbacks after securing the offensive rebound. <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/20220218_202745-scaled-crop-1362x895-1646473164.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-396562 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/20220218_202745-scaled-crop-1362x895-1646473164-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>Makevia House 2022, 5’1″ G (Pine Forest).</strong> House’s performance in the Raider Dome at Orange Park was impressive.  The senior guard scored 13 points, dished out 4 assists, and connected on three 4th quarter three-pointers during the game’s most critical juncture.  House also was solid on defense all night long.  She and her backcourt partners slowed the explosive [player_tooltip player_id="331745" first="Eris" last="Lester"] down for the first half and made her earn all 21 points for the contest. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Spruce Creek</strong></span> <strong>Kiana Bean 2022, 5’6″ G (Spruce Creek) </strong>. Bean was unconscious shooting the ball in the opening round of the high school playoffs. The guard knocked down 8 three-pointers out of 12 attempts. Bean didn’t do anything fancy, but she was a confident shooter. Bean also grabbed 8 rebounds and dished out 3 assists. For the season, Bean knocked down 72 threes and connected on nearly 40 percent for the season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91657" first="Tyja" last="Beans"] 2023, 5’11” F (Spruce Creek)</strong>. In the opening round game of the playoffs,  Beans was “cooking” all night.  The talented forward got downhill with an array of moves that were next-level stuff.   Beans got to the rack on her strong hand (left) and could also get to the goal on her right.   She showed euro- steps, “up and unders,” dream shakes, head fakes, etc.  Beans’ ability to score in the paint was remarkable and when she didn’t score, she was getting to the charity stripe. Beans went to the line an amazing 10 times and connected on 90 percent of her free throws. The talented junior also knabbed 9 rebounds, dished out 4 assists. On the defensive end, Beans recorded 2 blocks and 3 steals. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tallahassee Rickards</strong></span> <strong>Genesis Henry 2025, G (Rickards). </strong>The poise that Henry played with was that of a seasoned veteran, and not of a Freshman playing in the first round of a playoff game in a hostile Orange Park environment. The 16 points were impressive, but Henry’s ability to get to the rack was more impressive.   The Freshman used her length and quickness to drive to the basket.  She drew fouls all night long,   getting to the free-throw line 15 times and connected on 9 of them.  Henry also knocked down a three-pointer,  showing her versatility as an offensive player. <strong>Jakiyah Robinson 2022, G (Rickards).</strong>  Robinson had a nice showing during the first round of the playoffs.  She scored 15 points in the playoff loss at Orange Park.   Robinson can shoot from all levels on the court and is not shy about letting it fly from long range.  Robinson also has the quicks to get to the basket.  The senior connected on 2 threes in the contest. &nbsp;