VT D3/D4 Senior Showcase: Defense wins… All-Star Games?

VT D3/D4 Senior Showcase: Defense wins&#8230; All-Star Games?

Cody Quattrocci

March 21, 2023 @ 01:46 PM

It was a tight knit game characterized by tough post play and open court playmaking. The North seemed to have control going into the last five minutes, but a couple hustle plays from the South in the waning moments put them over the top. Check out the top players below!   South Standouts:   Arianna Coombs, 5'11 W/F - West Rutland High School Class of 2023   When I say Arianna contributed in basically every way possible, it's not an exaggeration. Coombs was everywhere. She rebounded the ball on both sides of the floor and she added a block or two as well. Moreover, her offensive versatility was in full swing. Arianna showcased her point-forward abilities, pushing the ball, making sly feeds, and sinking shots all over the floor. She had a team high 12 points, but it felt like so much more. Coombs is my MVP.   Mallory Hogan, 6'1 F - West Rutland High School Class of 2023   Steady and smooth, Mallory put in sound post work all game. Her short-range jumper was clicking as she sunk four jumpers just off the elbow to tack on eight points. Her work to garner position down low put her in scoring position time and time again. Plus, she opened nicely to the ball on drives, and with her high release, finished easily over the defense. Hogan added a few boards and some solid defensive work inside as well.   Ella Perreault, 5'9 W - White River Valley High School Class of 2023   An absolute hawk, Ella was flying all over the floor. Perreault dove for loose balls and battled for rebounds, consistently securing extra possessions for her squad. Additionally, Ella showed her dynamic style in the open court. She took a couple steals and rebounds coast-to-coast, making nice reads in the open floor. Furthermore, her slashing + post work created offense as she finished looks in the second layer. Perreault's hustle and high IQ play is always a given.   North Standouts:   Finnley Jacobsen, 6'0 F - Vergennes Union High School Class of 2023   It was my first time seeing Finnley hoop and I was quite impressed with her game. Jacobsen commanded a ton of attention in the paint as she flashed from elbow to elbow. Finnley used her strength to snag post position and she made quick, decisive moves to finish on both sides of the cup. Moreover, her rolls out of ball screens were fundamental and she showed nice court awareness as she finished against 1v1 coverage or dished out when the defense collapsed. Additionally, she rebounded at a high rate and swatted a couple shots. Fantastic work from Finnley.   Kyra Bradford, 5'7 G - Vergennes Union High School CLass of 2023   The southpaw was creating offensive opportunities all game. Bradford displayed nice court vision consistently, serving up dimes with her timely and precise post entries along with her advance passes in transition. Plus, she scrapped play after play. Kyra secured extra possessions as she battled for 50/50 balls, and her anticipation on the glass brought a couple offensive boards her way. Excellent production from Kyra.   [player_tooltip player_id='427051' first='Shelby' last='Wells'], 5'9 G/W - Peoples Academy Class of 2023   Shelby's offense ebbed and flowed throughout this one. Wells put together a game high 24 points off of four threes and multiple savvy finishes inside. At times Shelby forced the issue, however, she was certainly key as she steadily added points on the board. Wells added a couple rebounds, a steal, and showed the vision with a few plays in the open court. I would've liked to see a more team-oriented approach from Wells, but solid effort nonetheless.

It was a tight knit game characterized by tough post play and open court playmaking. The North seemed to have control going into the last five minutes, but a couple hustle plays from the South in the waning moments put them over the top. Check out the top players below!