Junior Standouts at Gateway Conference Tournament

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One thing missing from the annual Gateway Conference Tournament was a lot of Seniors on the court. The juniors in Duval County really did a good job of showcasing their talents and skills at this year's tournament. In this article, we look at the juniors who stood out in this year's Gateway tournament. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='349326' first='Nykeria' last='Thomas'] / 2024 / 5'10 SG,SF / Mandarin</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The biggest standout in the Gateway Conference tournament was arguably Mandarin's [player_tooltip player_id='349326' first='Nykeria' last='Thomas']. Thomas's performance separated her from a lot of Juniors on the First Coast. Her open-court transition game was on a different level and her back-to-the-basket post-game. was even more impressive. Thomas abused smaller guards in the post and was able to get her shot anytime she wanted to. Thomas also handled the ball well and was instrumental in breaking presses and creating shots for her teammates. Thomas had 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and numerous plays to get her team out of trouble. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='248287' first='Kiyana' last='Hunter'] / 2024 / 5'3 PG / Mandarin</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hunter had a very good tournament and showcased an all-around game. Hunter's defense was key in the Gateway Conference Tournament and she drew some tough assignments and neutralized the opposing guards at times. Hunter is also one of the leading three-point shooters in the district, but in the Gateway Tournament, she showed she could get to the rim. She had multiple "and-ones" for the tournament. Hunter's ball handling was key down the stretch as she repeatedly made good reads to break the press. Hunter had some nice assists on the break and did a good job of seeing the floor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='470456' first='Irvieona' last='Gantt'] / 2024 / 5'6 SG / Mandarin </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gantt performed very well in the Gateway Conference Tournament. She was impressive shooting the ball from multiple levels on the court. She shot the three well, but she had a significant impact on the game in the rebounding department. Gantt also ran the floor well and had some key scores in the transition game. Gantt elevated her status as a Junior to keep an eye on. She has been very instrumental in Mandarin's recent winning streak. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> [player_tooltip player_id='495957' first='Kayla' last='Massey'] / 2024 / 5'4 PG / Ribault </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Massey played very well in the tournament and continued to provide leadership to a young and talented Ribault team. Massey's ability to get to the rim and draw fouls and create scoring opportunities continues to be the strongest part of her game. She also showed a nice shooting touch from the top of the key. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='221679' first='Cameron' last='DeCosta'] / 2024 / 5'9 SG / Sandalwood </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DeCosta was another Junior standout in the Gateway conference. Decosta shot the ball well from all three levels of the court. She is in the top five in three-pointers with 22 through 20 games. Another part of her game that really stood out was her rebounding abilities. At 5'9, Decosta posted a 14-point - 14 rebound performance and a 9-point - 12 rebound performance the next night. She did a really good job of shooting the ball and showed she can distribute the ball to the post and to her wing players for scoring opportunities. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ka'lynn Hobbs / 2024 / 5'7 SG / Sandalwood</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hobbs's overall game stood out during the Gateway Tournament. She has the ability to shoot the long ball and through 20 games has knocked down 20 three-pointers. Hobbs can also drive the ball to the rim. She plays an in-your-face defense and has an infectious toughness on the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='349325' first='Kennedy' last='Waymer'] / 2024 / 5'6 PG / Paxon </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waymer had a 14-point performance in the Gateway Tournament which is right around her average for the season. Waymer can get to the goal as well as any guard on the First Coast, and she knows how to get to the free-throw line. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='374464' first='Ansley' last='Hicks'] / 2024 / 5'6 SG / Paxon </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hicks posted a 14-point - 7 rebound performance from the guard position. Hicks can score on the inside and out, but really does a good job of getting to the goal. As of late, the talented guard has been flirting with 20 points per contest. Hicks is a selfless player who can create for herself but can also create opportunities for her teammates. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->