She Got Next: Upstate Standouts (Part 1)
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White Knoll HS is located in central Lexington County. The 5A home of the Timberwolves was in the spotlight for high school girls basketball across the state for being the host school for one of South Carolina’s premier events. She…
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Continue ReadingWhite Knoll HS is located in central Lexington County. The 5A home of the Timberwolves was in the spotlight for high school girls basketball across the state for being the host school for one of South Carolina’s premier events.
She Got Next, hosted by A1 Hoops Report, took place at White Knoll HS this year as opposed to Brookland-Cayce HS. The school itself may be a Midlands school but teams from virtually every region of the state were represented.
We at Prep Girls Hoops made the trek out to the school to take in what was two days of a great event with great basketball. Here is a look at who stood out amongst Upstate schools.
The 1A Grizzlies have a trio of talented seniors that will be difficult to replace once they depart from High Point Academy at the close of spring semester. Martin is one of those. At an even six feet, she presents a notable height advantage over many a foe in the interior. Martin can display offensive versatility as a midrange jump shot is part of her repertoire. With free throws, she stays prepared to box out in case an opponent is unsuccessful, will assist with double teams and good number of the rebounds she brings down are of the offensive variety. Martin concluded the Grizzlies’ matchup against Hilton Head Christian Academy with 10 points.
Lewis is one of two primary stars for the Yellow Jackets who are from the class of 2024. Defensively, she can match whoever she is guarding step for step and move for move. Lewis displayed how effective she is as a ball handler and transition runner. Drawing contact and getting to the free throw line is another area where she excels. Her speed is another element to how she plays that will impress many an onlooker. A midrange jumper is part of her offensive arsenal and she can get in position to grab rebounds. Lewis finished with 10 points as one of the Yellow Jackets’ primary scorers in its get-together with Lexington.
As a standout on one of the premier 1A teams in the state, Beason is poised to have an emphatic close to her high school career. Versatility is the name of Beason’s game. Along with a knack for setting screens, she can set herself up near the rim to make plays. Beason also will display her ball handling ability along with a willingness to fearlessly attack the basket. She managed to connect on attempts in the midrange and can put her length to good use by keeping her arms outstretched at times when on defense. Beason finished with 15 points in the Grizzlies’ matchup with Hilton Head Christian Academy.
She is the older of the sisters Bracebridge that comprise the 1A Grizzlies roster – and another of the three that will make Senior Day at High Point Academy a memorable one. One of Bracebridge’s primary calling cards is what she can do from behind the 3-point line. That is combined with plenty of passing ability as well as ball handling skills. Bracebridge will have occasions where she will get to the free throw line and can maintain activity away from the ball. She finished with 13 points — nine in the second half as the Grizzlies matched up against Hilton Head Christian on Friday.
Last season, Moody put together an impressive freshman campaign in the 24 games she played for 4A Greer. Now she hopes to build on that first-season success that helped the Yellow Jackets to a 16-8 record (7-1 in conference). Moody displayed that she can make things happen with the ball in her hand and understands when the correct times are to pass and to score. As someone who plays mostly in the backcourt as a two, she can organize her team’s offense in the halfcourt and can finish strong at the basket. Moody tallied 11 points against the Wildcats in what turned out to be one of the more entertaining games of the day.
The 4A Yellow Jackets’ draw on the first day of the She Got Next tournament was not an easy one – 5A Lexington. Clark-Lamelle’s leadership by example ensured Greer managed to hold its own. She puts plenty of emphasis on being able to drain 3-point shots. Drawing contact and getting to the free throw line is another of Clark-Lamelle’s strong attributes – as is the ability to deliver strong finishes at the basket. She displays how fearless she is when she attacks the rim and has no problem going up against a taller defender – such as Lexington’s Lindsay Garner Lindsay Garner 6’2″ | C Lexington | 2023 State SC . She finished Greer’s matchup against the Wildcats with 22 points.
The Patriots’ contest against SCISA 4A power Heathwood Hall was a tough one to say the least for the team. Bowling proved to be a bright spot as she led J.L. Mann scoring-wise with 14 points. One of Bowling’s strong suits is her ability to finish strong at the rim – and that is a byproduct of the emphasis she places on herself as a ball handler. She primarily plays as a point guard and is listed at 5-foot-3. With two of the team’s seniors from last season having graduated, emphasis will be on Bowling to provide veteran leadership for the Patriots the next couple of seasons.
Alex Porter
Alex Porter
The Yellow Jackets needed to come from behind in the second half to prevail over Lexington – and a huge reason for that comeback was the production Greer got from its big. Porter finished with 14 points – second among Yellow Jackets point-getters for Friday’s afternoon’s contest and all 14 were tallied in the second half. Porter at 5-foot-9 gives Greer a solid interior presence to compliment its guard and forward play. If she had the ball near the rim, it was likely she would attempt a high-percentage shot and it would result in two more Greer points. In addition to her scoring, her rebounding also makes her a worthwhile asset to one of the 4A landscape’s most stacked assemblings.