2A State Championship: Faith Christian v Horeb Christian Recap

By Michael Wholey 2/28/23 7:00 AM EST   The 2023 FHSAA State Tournament concluded in Lakeland at the RP Funding Center hosting the 1A – 7A State Championship games. Here is a recap of the 2A State Championship game between Faith Christian and Horeb Christian.     GAME RECAP   Faith Christian never trailed the whole game, jumping out to a 12-9 after the 1st quarter and controlled the game from start to finish defeating Horeb Christian 53-37 and taking home the 2A State Championship title. [player_tooltip player_id='572864' first='Emely' last='Rodriguez'] led all scorers with 19 points and Keysi Aybar finished with 14, with the two accounting for 33 of Horeb Christians 37 points but in the end FCA was too much with three players finishing in double figures. For Faith Christian [player_tooltip player_id='409186' first='Holland' last='Harris'] followed up her 35-point performance in the semifinals with a double-double (15 points and 12 rebounds) while Leah Rivera knocked down 4/5 from 3 finishing with 12 and [player_tooltip player_id='244190' first='Kylee' last='Kitts'] also recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. An evenly matched game that saw both teams play five players pretty the entire game, the most telling stat was Horeb went 0/15 from 3 and shot just 20% from the field with Faith Christian shooting just 34% from the field but 7/21 from 3 for 33%.     TOP PROSPECTS   [player_tooltip player_id='248319' first='Leah' last='Rivera'] (Faith Christian) 5'7 Guard – Class of 2023   Rivera is a slender, skilled guard that ran the point guard position for Faith Christian. She did a good job pushing the tempo, setting up her team's offense, and knocking down open 3s when left open. In the championship game, she shot an impressive 80% going 4/5 from 3 for 12 points.     [player_tooltip player_id='219928' first='Leah' last='Barnes'] (Faith Christian)5'10 Wing / Forward – Class of 2024   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/11/Leah-Barnes-SNP.jpeg?w=647" alt="" class="wp-image-554029" width="150" height="238" /></figure>     Barnes is a versatile wing / forward that has a strong build and can play inside and out. Playing alongside teammates [player_tooltip player_id='244190' first='Kylee' last='Kitts'] and [player_tooltip player_id='409186' first='Holland' last='Harris'], Barnes is a perfect fit in the positionless basketball that is common in the modern-day game. Barnes finished with 8 points on 4/14 from the field.         Keysi Aybar (Horeb Christian) 6'2 Wing / Forward – Class of 2024   Aybar stepped up in the championship game going toe to toe with Faith Christian's long front court. She finished the game with a double-double going for 14 points and 16 rebounds. Playing the entire 32 minutes, Aybar struggled to finish around the rim, going 4/12 from field but did a good job drawing contact and getting to the free throw line shooting 60% from the line (6/10). For a small class that is usually dominated by guards, the game featured five players over 6'0 tall with Aybar being the least well known. She did more than handle her own and is a potential stock riser in the class of 2024.     [player_tooltip player_id='572864' first='Emely' last='Rodriguez'] (Horeb Christian) 6'1 Wing – Class of 2024   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/DA83D10D-490C-46F4-BE9D-A95478B9C679.jpg?w=576" alt="" class="wp-image-578789" width="149" height="265" /></figure>   Rodriguez alongside Keysi Aybar were the only two options for any type of offensive production for Horeb Christian. While Rodriguez was able to score easier against a smaller Evangelical Christian in the semifinal game, points were harder to come by in the final's vs Faith Christian with the length and height of [player_tooltip player_id='409186' first='Holland' last='Harris'], [player_tooltip player_id='244190' first='Kylee' last='Kitts'], and [player_tooltip player_id='219928' first='Leah' last='Barnes'] being more of an obstacle for her. In the end, her stat line was still impressive as she finished with 19 points on 7/26 from the field, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks, 4 steals, and 3 assists. Rodriguez took close to 50% of her team's shots accounting for 26 of the teams 55. She was one of the high school seasons break out stars and will surely move up the rankings quite substantially and has quickly become one of the most highly recruited prospects in Florida.       [player_tooltip player_id='244190' first='Kylee' last='Kitts'] (Faith Christian) 6'2 Wing / Forward – Class of 2025   Kitts is long and skilled. She finished the championship game with a double double (10 points and 10 rebounds) on 50% from the field shooting 4/8. The young sophomore can play multiple positions and impacted the game on both ends of the floor. She can play inside and on the wing, her wingspan impacts the game defensively and she has guard like skills that allow her to attack off the dribble and get to the rim. Kitts continues to improve every time I see her live, look for her to be a stock riser in the class of 2025.     [player_tooltip player_id='409186' first='Holland' last='Harris'] (Faith Christian)6'1 Wing / Forward – Class of 2025   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/02/HH-7.jpeg?w=633" alt="" class="wp-image-605697" width="153" height="248" /></figure>   Harris followed up her 35-point performance from the semifinals with 15 points in the finals. The game was a low scoring game where points were hard to come by and saw many players struggle from the field. Harris was no different going 4/17 from the field, shooting less than 25%. But Harris athleticism, versatility, and length are apparent, and she is extremely talented and did a great job of finding ways to help lead her team to the championship by grabbing 12 rebounds and getting to the free throw line shooting 5/6 from the line. She is one of the top prospects in the class of 2025 that stepped up big for her team when it mattered most in Lakeland helping lead them to a 2A State Championship.       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 <a href="mailto:WholeyPrepHoops@gmail.com">WholeyPrepHoops@gmail.com</a> or DM him through Twitter or Instagram @WholeyPrepHoops.

By Michael Wholey 2/28/23 7:00 AM EST