All Eyes on the Juniors
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It was a battle Friday night between South Piedmont 3A foes Central Cabarrus and Northwest Cabarrus. It seemed to be a different story each quarter. Northwest Cabarrus went into halftime with a 24-12 lead. However, the Vikings halftime speech must…
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Continue ReadingIt was a battle Friday night between South Piedmont 3A foes Central Cabarrus and Northwest Cabarrus. It seemed to be a different story each quarter. Northwest Cabarrus went into halftime with a 24-12 lead. However, the Vikings halftime speech must have worked as they came out hot going on a 17-4 run and taking the lead going into the fourth quarter. Central Cabarrus continued outscoring the Trojans 8-5 in the first 6 minutes of the quarter, but Northwest Cabarrus finished the strongest scoring 7 unanswered points to win the game 40-37.
All of the leading scorers from the game are juniors, so we will start there with each team. Don’t forget to take a look at some of the younger talent that was on the court, too, as each team starts a couple of freshman that certainly have a bright future ahead.
Here’s a look at the standouts from Northwest Cabarrus.
Re’ale Walton continued to show why she is the season’s leading scorer for the Trojans. She was a tough defender jumping into passing lanes being able to anticipate what her opponents were trying to do on offense. She pushed these steals up the court for some aggressive fast breaks scoring two points on her own. She was showing off some nice finishes at the rim showing her reverse layups after some quick drives to the hoop. She has a lethal crossover getting her opponent out of her way. She was the calm presence her team needed grabbing steals and settling them down or making some crossovers to jump shots to score some points when her team was in a scoring drought.
A’lanah Moore
A’lanah Moore
A’lanah Moore showed off her range shooting from deep coming out hot firing from around the perimeter knocking down three in the first half. She hit a clutch three pointer in the fourth quarter making sure her team regained the lead to win the game. Her defense was tough constantly moving around in the zone to make sure there were no easy baskets for her opponents.
Kennedy Hilsenroth is great with the pick n roll timing her cuts perfectly to get the open look for a pass and bucket. She did a nice job scoring through contact battling on the block. She gets inside for rebounds, too, making sure her opponents don’t have a second chance. She hustled back on defense getting the block on a fast break.
Highlights
The juniors weren’t the only ones leading the way as a sophomore and a “swiss army knife” freshman contributed to the win.
Marisa Furner
Marisa Furner
Marisa Furner was aggressive going after rebounds, and she knew how to make herself a big target inside for the entry pass. She was a tall presence in the paint using all of her height to block shots from her opponents trying to score near the basket. She is quick to score off the pass knowing already how to position herself before she even gets the ball.
Mackenzie Ortschied does a nice job cutting into passing lanes on defense. She is also vocal already serving as a leader even in her freshman season with the team. She was always present hustling up and down the court on both ends. She can handle the ball, set herself up anywhere on the court for a jump shot, and her power dribble and post moves inside are sure to lead to points.
Now, let’s take a look at the Vikings from Central Cabarrus.
Jalayah Ray
Jalayah Ray
Jalayah Ray was aggressive on defense grabbing the steal and making some points off of it. She kept sliding down into the right spots on defense knocking the ball away derailing her opponents’ offensive possessions. She stripped the ball away from her opponents on fast breaks, too, making sure they didn’t have an easy path to some points. She had some critical steals in the second half making sure her team scored on these turnovers, too.
Kyra Lewis
Kyra Lewis
Kyra Lewis gets inside using her strength to create space for herself. She may not have been taller than her defenders, but she made sure to box out and get every opportunity to go after the rebound. She has a nice up and under move that she was using to get her points. She does well running the high post position, too, finding her open teammates cutting to the block. She had a nice block on a fast break showing her hustle on both ends of the court. In the second half, she was persistent going up for some points drawing the foul from her opponents. She did a nice job stripping the ball from her opponents taking advantage of any time that they brought the ball down low.
Central Cabarrus also starts a freshman that you should certainly keep your eye on.
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith opened up the second half making a nice drive with a floater in the middle of the paint. She had a nice block and steal on a fast break taking on a taller opponent showing she can strip the ball from anyone. She scored the first several buckets in the second half for her team lighting a fire in them cutting into the lead of her opponents.