Other Standouts: PGH Victory Region Kick Off

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During the PGH Victory Region Kick Off, I got assigned to focus on 16U. However, there weren't 16U games running during every game slot, so I saw plenty of kids from every age level. I want to highlight a few other kids I saw this weekend who had standout performances in their way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Aniya Blackmon</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players with the profile of Blackburn will always fly a little under the radar, rightly or wrongly, but I loved what Blackburn did in the one game I saw her play. She's a 5-9 or 5-10 forward/post combo, but she does an excellent job owning everything around the basket. Watching her box out for rebounds was one of the most memorable experiences of the event for me, and I can see why [program_tooltip program_id='716246' first='Illinois' last='Legends'] love having her. I didn't even think she was anywhere near what she probably is offensively, but she did so many positive things to help her team pull out a late win that it didn't matter. She may not always be the best player in a game, but she will do everything to give her team the best chance of winning.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='349319' first='Zuri' last='Ransom']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In probably the most anticipated game of the event between [program_tooltip program_id='712517' first='Full' last='Package'] and Mac Irvin Fire, I thought Ransom was the kid that made that game as competitive as it was. Whether it was a big shot, stop, rebound, or 50/50 ball, Ransom always made the play to stretch out her team's lead or close the opposing team's advantage. She'll make a program at the next level, ecstatic with her ability to affect the game positively on both ends.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='374228' first='JJ' last='Glass-Barnes']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I haven't seen a guard dominate around the basket as well as Glass-Barnes since I started writing a year and a half ago. It's a treat to watch her look post players in the eye and still go right through them. She is the best rebounding guard in her state, and she's gotten better and more well-rounded on the offensive end. Her next two years will be a treat to watch her play at the high school level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='400915' first='Mikaia' last='Litza']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've known that Litza is talented, but there have been hiccups here and there along the way, which is perfectly okay for kids her age. However, she was outstanding when I saw her on Saturday night. Not only did she make shots, passes, and plays against a talented group, but she seemed so comfortable when anything happened to her, and she made the right basketball play in the face of pressure every time. Yes, making shots is crucial, but she was unbelievably locked in mentally&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->