4A State Championship Game: Lake Highland Prep v Bishop Kenny

By Michael Wholey 2/25/23 4:00 PM 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 4A State Championship game between Lake Highland Prep and Bishop Kenny.      GAME RECAP   The first half was a bit of a sleeper with Bishop Kenny leading 9-7 after 1 and 17-13 at half with BK controlling the tempo and working the ball, often going 1 minute plus per possession with the ball in their hands.  In the first half Bishop Kenny shot 33% from the field (5/15 from the field) and Lake Highland struggled more shooting just 5/24 for 20%.  But coming out of the half, the tempo of the game and the energy in the arena changed quickly with [player_tooltip player_id='243885' first='Jada' last='Eads'] scoring a quick 6 points and Lake Highland Prep jumping into full court pressure to tie the game up at 22 just two and a half minutes into the 3rd quarter.  Trailing by 5 after three quarters, Lake Highland Prep dominated the 4th quarter outscoring Bishop Kenny 28-13 and taking home the 4A State Championship game 55-45.  Pressure was obviously a factor as Bishop Kenny finished with 24 turnovers and Lake Highland Prep just 8 and Junior [player_tooltip player_id='243885' first='Jada' last='Eads'] after a quiet first half had 19 2nd half points and finished as the game's high scorer with 24.      TOP PROSPECTS   [player_tooltip player_id='91649' first='Eleecia' last='Carter'] (Lake Highland Prep) – 5'8 Guard – Class of 2023 – UT Chattanooga   Carter, Lake Highland Prep lone Senior and player of the year was quiet, struggling from the field going just 2/8 from the field but she was clutch during the stretch knocking down 6/6 from the free throw line and finishing with 10 points.  LHP is not deep and Carter played all but 2 minutes of the game, rotating between all 3 guard positions.      [player_tooltip player_id='247118' first='Sophia' last='Rueppell'] (Bishop Kenny) – 5'8 Guard – Class of 2023 – Kennesaw State University   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/07/20220706_120424-scaled.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-470057" width="161" height="286" /></figure>   Rueppell played point guard in the first half, initiating her team into its half-court offense while also finding opportunities to attack off the dribble and knock down the open shot.  As pressure picked up by Lake Highland Prep, Rueppell seemed to defer to her other teammates as ball handlers allowing Lake Highland Prep to get back into the game and ultimately take the lead.  The talented combo guard played all but 90 seconds of the game, finishing with 7 points, 3 assists, 3 turnovers, and 2 rebounds.      [player_tooltip player_id='217664' first='Lexi' last='Blue'] (Lake Highland Prep) – 6'0 Wing – Class of 2024   Blue did her thing using her length and athleticism on both ends of the floor finishing with 10 points, 6 rebounds, while going 2/5 from 3 and 4/8 from the field.  Blue is extremely versatile and played wing, forward, and center and was very active and LHP relied on her presence in the paint and on the boards, essentially playing five guards plus her.  She is a highly coveted college prospect with a ton of potential was a calming and steady presence in the game, helping her team take home the 4A State Championship!     Camila Depool (Lake Highland Prep) – 5'8 Guard – Class of 2024   Depool played heavy minutes at the off-guard position, finishing with 8 points on 3/8 from field to go along with 3 assists.  Depool probably made her biggest impact on the defensive end, picking up the full court pressure in the second half, snatching 5 steals and helping force 24 turnovers by Bishop Kenny.  Depool and fellow back court teammate [player_tooltip player_id='243885' first='Jada' last='Eads'], changed the tempo and the pace of the game in the second half with Bishop Kenny searching for an option to advance the ball over half court.      [player_tooltip player_id='248345' first='Clare' last='Coyle'] (Bishop Kenny) – 6'1 Wing / Forward – Class of 2024   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/09/112-Clare-Coyle-scaled.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-331259" width="326" height="217" /></figure>       Coyle grabbed an impressive 11 rebounds in the first half but wasn't able to be as effective in the 2nd half picking up 4 of her 5 fouls in the second half and fouling out half way through the 4th quarter finishing with 10 points and 12 rebounds. The 6'1 Wing / Forward is a skilled offensive player, who has a high IQ, sees the floor well, and can shoots a high percentage from the field and from 3. Versus Lake Highland's pressure, she showcased her ability to handle the ball in the full court and advance the ball up the court, using her height to see over the top of defenses.     [player_tooltip player_id='217663' first='Sydney' last='Roundtree'] (Bishop Kenny) – 6'0 Guard – Class of 2024   Roundtree finished as Bishop Kenny leading scorer with 14 points on 5/11 shooting. In a guard dominated game, Roundtree scored both on the interior and from the wing. She is long and versatile and did a good job trying to keep Bishop Kenny in the game, scoring 10 of her 14 points in the 2nd half. In the end, Lake Highland Prep pressure was too much and quite often Roundtree went multiple possessions without touching the ball in the half court.     [player_tooltip player_id='243885' first='Jada' last='Eads'] (Lake Highland Prep) – 5'7 Guard – Class of 2024   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/02/FloOvrOXwAAQgUy.jpeg?w=784" alt="" class="wp-image-604693" width="300" height="316" /></figure>       Eads quickly changed the tempo of the game in the 2nd half, after a quiet first half. Scoring just 5 points on 2/7 shooting in the first half, Eads came out of the gates in the second half looking to attack the rim and let it fly. She finished with a team high 21 points on 7/14 from field and 6/7 from free throw line. Most of Eads points came off of her aggressive defensive, which she finished with 6 steals, completely changing the pace and tempo of the game. She was the games MVP, playing all but 3 minutes of the game and scoring 16 of her 21 points in the 2nd half and bringing Lake Highland Prep from 5 points down entering the fourth quarter and leading them to 55-45 win, outscoring Bishop Kenny 28-13 in the 4th and claiming the 4A State Championship.         [player_tooltip player_id='248348' first='Riley' last='Talbert'] (Bishop Kenny) – 5'9 Guard – Call of 2024   Talbert finished as Bishop Kenny 2nd leading scorer with 13 points on 5/9 from the field and 3/5 from 3.  A versatile guard that can play multiple positions, BK leaned on her to handle Lake Highland Prep's pressure but she struggled finishing with 7 turnovers.  At 5'9, she has a high IQ, good court vision, can handle the ball and shoots a high percentage from the field but off the dribble and off the catch.  She has the ability to help spread the floor and let it fly from 3.          [player_tooltip player_id='434835' first='Reese' last='Mayer'] (Bishop Kenny) – 5'6 Guard – Class of 2025   One of the youngest players in the game, Mayer played multiple guard positions and all 32 minutes of the game.  She was not very impactful on the offensive end of the floor finishing with 1 point and 5 turnovers but played hard and aggressive on both ends, helping promote ball movement, floor spacing and was an aggressive defender.        [player_tooltip player_id='248449' first='Arianna' last='Woodard'] (Lake Highland Prep) – 5'8 Guard – Class of 2025   Woodard, a talented Sophomore did not have her best performance finishing with just 2 points on 1/7 from the field but the 5'8 guard is extremely talented and one of the top class of 2025 prospects in the state.  She can handle the rock, score the ball by attacking off the bounce and getting into the paint and has the ability to let it fly from 3.   She will be leaned on heavily over the next 2 seasons as Lake Highland Prep will look to keep their reign of dominance on 4A.      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 2/25/23 4:00 PM EST