She Got Next: Pee Dee and CSRA Standouts
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The season may only be a few days old, but with the very high level of competition that is already taking place across South Carolina, one may think it is mid-January as opposed to late-November. This was on full display…
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Continue ReadingThe season may only be a few days old, but with the very high level of competition that is already taking place across South Carolina, one may think it is mid-January as opposed to late-November.
This was on full display this past weekend at White Knoll HS as it played host to this year’s She Got Next event. A1 Hoops Report hosts the event every year and it was staged this year at the home of the 5A Timberwolves as opposed to 4A Brookland-Cayce HS. Teams from all points of the Palmetto State were on hand for the two days of exciting basketball.
So were we at Prep Girls Hoops. Here is a look at who stood out among Pee Dee and CSRA teams.
The veteran big who has worn the black and Vegas gold colors of the Yellow Jackets ever since she was an eighth grader, she hopes to give North Augusta fans something more to remember her for before she takes her talents to the collegiate ranks at Campbell. Smith can complete plenty of plays close to the basket and also bring down a good number of rebounds. She also can showcase that she is not afraid to play the game physically in the paint and take her opportunities at the free throw line. Smith lifted a stellar Yellow Jackets effort with 14 points.
The name Tysonia Lowe Tysonia Lowe 5’5″ | CG Marlboro County | 2023 State SC rings a bell to us at Prep Girls Hoops as she was one of the senior standouts that impressed at Dawn Staley’s team camp at the University of South Carolina over the summer. Among her strong points is maintaining a high degree of activity away from the ball and taking her chances with 3-point attempts. She is also a gifted handler of the ball and understands when the correct times are to pass and when to distribute. Lowe was one of the key point-getters for the Bulldogs in its contest with 5A Spring Valley as she placed 22 points on the board.
Coach Al Young’s Yellow Jackets are an assembling that has a healthy mix of veterans and youth. Walker is one of those rising stars that is sure to ensure North Augusta will continue to be a 4A power. In her team’s matchup on Friday night against 2A Keenan, Walker delivered an 18-point effort. She is listed at 5-foot-9 and her versatility occurs in the form of being able to play multiple positions – such as at guard and at forward. Walker can give the Yellow Jackets depth in the interior and can put points on the board from a variety of places on the court – including from behind the 3-point line and at the foul line.
The name Ansley Gartrell Ansley Gartrell 5’9″ | SG North Augusta | 2023 State SC rings a bell to Prep Girls Hoops as she played travel ball with Palmetto 76ers during the spring and summer months and the team made a stop on the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit’s Triumph Region. In what was a winning effort for the Yellow Jackets, she scored a grant total of 13 points. Gartrell managed to get to the free throw line early and often as the Yellow Jackets matched their adversaries from 2A Keenan point for point. Gartrell is listed at 5-foot-8 and primarily plays at the two. She can also deliver timely rebounds and can be serviceable in the passing game.
O’Bryant also had a game that can be classified as not how one started but how one finished. She led all Yellow Jackets point-getters with 22 points and did the bulk of her damage in the latter portions of the game. O’Bryant was held to only two points at one point before she seemed to put the ball through the hoop with ease. She drained one of the team’s three 3-point makes and also managed to consistently find her way to the charity stripe. O’Bryant brings a veteran presence to a North Augusta team that had a healthy mix of veterans and skilled youth.
A noteworthy bright spot in the Bulldogs’ contest against what was a tough 5A Spring Valley team, she gives Marlboro County an imposing presence in the painted area. Isaac stands at 5-foot-9. She had the first points of the game for the Bulldogs and went on to eventually score a total of 16 points for the game. The spacing she can find near the basket can enable her to increase her team’s overall point output. Near the basket, Isaac can certainly draw her fair share of contact. Her interior presence can be felt on the defensive end of the floor as well, particularly as a rebounder.