Grassroots Spotlight on St. Louis Gators 15U

Earl Austin May 22, 2023 @ 09:48 PM

(Photo courtesy of Lady Gators Twitter)   During the month of may, Prep Girls Hoops Missouri features grassroots programs from around the state with talented players who operate under the radar.   Today, we take a look at the St. Louis Gators 2026 squad. After watching a couple of their games at last weekend's “The Classic” in Louisville, here are a few observations on the players that we watched.   [player_tooltip player_id='460896' first='Lauren' last='Ortwerth'] (Cor Jesu): A 6'0 forward who is tough around the basket as a scorer and rebounder. She sits down on the post and works inside with good moves and footwork. She also passes well out of double teams. She can also drive the ball well from the high post.   [player_tooltip player_id='409883' first='Maggie' last='Gunn'] (Kirkwood): A 5'11 forward who is very agile and has the ability to run the court. She has a nice ball fake to set up the drive and she can knock down the 17 footer. She also scored around the basket on offense and she looks to block out people for rebounding position on defense.   Marleigh Allen (Eureka): A 5'7 guard who handles the ball well as she pushes tempo well and she's good with the penetration and kick outs. She can also hit the open 3-pointer. She is also active on the defensive end.   [player_tooltip player_id='493365' first='Mia' last='Cuneio'] (Eureka): A 5'7 guard who is a solid ball handler and playmaker. She finds open cutters and she moves well herself without the ball. She does a good job of passing and relocating to the open spot to hit the 3-pointer.   [player_tooltip player_id='493366' first='Piper' last='Mooney'] (St. Joseph's): A 5'10 forward who can rebound the ball and I saw her set solid screens. She is also aggressive on the roll down. She can also take the ball and go coast to coast on the drive for a layup.   Caroline Schierding (St. Joseph's): A 5'10" forward with good length and the ability to rebound very effectively. She sets good screen and she is good on the roll down. She can also take the ball and push the tempo on the break as she went coast to coast for a layup in one game that I watched her. She is also consistently in the right position on the defensive end.   [player_tooltip player_id='351775' first='Kylee' last='Reiter'] (St. Joseph's): A 5'9" forward who is very active and is very valuable because of her versatile skill set. She is a good secondary ball handler against pressure defense. She can get to the mid-range area for the jumper and she can also knock down the open 3-pointer. She is also very active on the defensive end as she moves her feet and she can also create turnovers with her quick hands.   [player_tooltip player_id='493363' first='Elena' last='Potsou'] (Parkway West): A 5'6" guard who comes off the bench to provide instant offense with her excellent 3-point shooting. She can shoot it coming off the screen and she also ran the court in transition to knock one down from long distance.   [player_tooltip player_id='493364' first='Ashley' last='Eveler'] (St. Joseph's): A 5'9" guard who handles the ball well and also keeps it moving on the offensive end. She is also capable of knocking down the Corner 3 when left open.   Ella Pavelonis (St. Joseph's): A 5'8" forward who is a good athlete who plays her role very well as a rebounder and defensive player. She's strong enough to guard inside in the post and she can also defend the perimeter with her athleticism. She's a physical player who screens well and blocks out well for rebounding position.

(Photo courtesy of Lady Gators Twitter)