2023 New Years Classic Recap – Part 1
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By Michael Wholey 1/16/23 5:00 PM EST The 2023 New Years Classic powered by SUTS Report was hosted at St. Thomas Aquinas and Cardinal Gibbons January 6-7, 2023. The event attracted 40 of the state’s top varsity and JV teams…
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Continue ReadingBy Michael Wholey 1/16/23 5:00 PM EST
The 2023 New Years Classic powered by SUTS Report was hosted at St. Thomas Aquinas and Cardinal Gibbons January 6-7, 2023. The event attracted 40 of the state’s top varsity and JV teams for the 2 day event including Montverde Academy, currently the # 1 team in the country out of Montverde, FL.
Montverde Academy took on two of Florida’s top teams, going up against Miami Country Day Friday night and St.
Thomas Aquinas Saturday night. Friday nights game vs Miami Country Day was a matchup of the # 1 and the # 2 teams in Florida according to Maxpreps.com. Montverde Academy featured a Senior class of all D1 signees with Rusne Augustinaite Rusne Augustinaite 5'10" | CG Montverde Academy | 2023 State FL (Georgia Tech), Cori Allen Cori Allen 5'10" | SG Montverde Academy | 2023 State FL (Illinois), Jordy Griggs (Kentucky), Sahnya Jan (South Carolina), Mjracle Sheppard Mjracle Sheppard 5'8" | CG Montverde Academy | 2023 State FL (Mississippi State), and Lety Vasconcelos (Baylor). Montverde’s size and strength were too much for Miami Country Day defeating them 69-39. With six D1 signees, it was 5’11 Junior Chloe Sotell that lead Montverde Academy in scoring with 14 points knocking down 4 3-pointers. For Miami Country Day, 6’1 Junior Kayla Nelms Kayla Nelms 6'1" | PF Miami Country Day | 2024 State FL accounted for 25 of her teams 39 points playing inside out, knocking down 4 3-pointers while also finishing with 10 points in the paint.
Saturday’s Montverde Academy vs host team St. Thomas Aquinas was the events final game and turned out to be one of the best matchups of the event. The low scoring defensive battle was back and forth all night with St Thomas Aquinas trailing 7-5 after 1, 16-15 at half, 25-23 after 3 quarters, and fell to the # 1 team in the country 35-34. Mississippi State signee Mjracle Sheppard Mjracle Sheppard 5'8" | CG Montverde Academy | 2023 State FL was the teams leading scorer (10 points) as well as the teams emotional leader, controlling the tempo of the game from tip off to buzzer. For St. Thomas Aquinas, Senior Karina Gordon Karina Gordon 5'8" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL (East Carolina signee) led the Raiders with 22 points. Trailing by 3 points with 10 seconds to go, St. Thomas Aquinas called timeout and head coach Oliver Berens drew up a play for a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. Montverde did an exceptional job covering up all the outside shooters, and with no one open Junior Mya Johnson attacked the rim, looking to get contact and scored the basket but did not draw the foul and the Raiders lost by one in a hard fought battle.
Friday nights top game at Cardinal Gibbons was a thriller with Western High School defeating Seminole Ridge 52-51. The game was back and forth all night with Western jumping out in front with points in the paint from Junior Keylee Allen and Sophomore Maddison Manragh. Seminole Ridge was committed to bringing pressure and climbed back into the game, taking lead in the 3rrd quarter after trailing 29-23 at half time. Janiah Suprius Janiah Suprius 5'5" | CG Seminole Ridge | 2025 State FL was Seminole Ridge leading scoring making plays off the dribble and attacking the rim. But it was 5’5 Junior Tamara Elliott Tamara Elliott 5'6" | PG Western | 2024 State FL for Western who paced the Wildcats to victory, finishing as the teams leading scorer with 17 points including 3 first half 3-pointers. The games final play was decided at the free throw line, with Seminole Ridge trailing by 3 52-49 with seconds to go. Seminole Ridge attacked the rim, scoring the basket and drawing the foul but couldn’t convert the free throw to send the game to overtime, ultimately giving Western the 52-51 win.
Some of the events high scorers were:
Emely Rodriguez Emely Rodriguez 6'1" | SF Central Pointe Christian | 2024 State FL (Horeb Christian) – 34 Points vs St. Thomas Aquinas
Karina Gordon Karina Gordon 5'8" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL (St. Thomas Aquinas) – 30 Points vs Horeb Christian
Peyton Looky Peyton Looky 5'0" | PG Cypress Bay HS | 2024 State FL (Cypress Bay) – 26 Points vs Palmetto
Lynn Reith Lynn Reith 5'6" | SG Holy Trinity | 2023 State FL (Holy Trinity) – 25 Points vs Miami Christian
Brooke Carlson (Batavia) – 25 Points vs Somerset Silver Palms
Kayla Nelms Kayla Nelms 6'1" | PF Miami Country Day | 2024 State FL (Miami Country Day) – 25 Points vs Montverde Academy
Jim’Miyah Branton (SLAM! Miami Academy) – 25 Points vs Western
Emma Smith (St. Andrews) – 25 Points vs North Miami
Shanaii Gamble Shanaii Gamble 5'10" | SF Somerset Academy Silver Palms | 2024 State FL (Somerset Academy Silver Palms) – 24 Points vs Seminole Ridge
Victoria Valle Victoria Valle 5'7" | PG Doral Academy | 2027 State FL (Somerset Silver Palms) – 24 Points vs Seminole Ridge
Jocelyn Gagnon Jocelyn Gagnon 5'10" | SF Somerset Prep North Lauderdale | 2024 State FL (Somerset Prep) – 22 Points vs Doral Academy
Sofia Travieso Sofia Travieso 5'10" | SG Carrollton School | 2023 State FL (Carrollton School) – 22 Points vs Cypress Bay
Karina Gordon (St. Thomas Aquinas) – 22 Points vs Montverde Academy
Emely Rodriguez Emely Rodriguez 6'1" | SF Central Pointe Christian | 2024 State FL (Horeb Christian) – 21 Points vs Miami Country Day
Joelle Wilson Joelle Wilson 5'11" | PF Miami Senior | 2023 FL (Miami Senior HS) – 21 Points vs Westminster Academy
Lena Girardi Lena Girardi 5'10" | SF IMG Academy | 2025 State FL (Westminster Academy) – 21 Points vs Miami Senior High School
Reina Green Reina Green 5'10" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL (St. Thomas Aquinas) – 21 Points vs Horeb Christian
Michael Wholey is the lead scout for Florida Prep Girls Hoop Florida and a former division one Assistant Coach at American University, University of Memphis, and Georgia Tech. Wholey and the rest of the Prep Girls Hoop staff, seek to cover the entire state of player, keeping subscribers up to date with player evaluations, recruiting info, and statewide news. Our audience often supplies us with some of our best information. If you have any information on players, teams, or statewide news in the state of Florida, emailing Michael Wholey at WholeyPrepHoops@gmail.com or DM him through Twitter or Instagram @WholeyPrepHoops.