June Runs: Scrimmage Recap – 9th/8th Gr. Blueprint vs Essex

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nothing like popping into a mid-week scrimmage! Blueprint Basketball and Essex Killer Bees went head-to-head in an up-and-down affair. Get attuned to numerous 2026 standouts and some 2027s to keep in mind.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Blueprint Basketball:</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='594763' first='Marlie' last='Bushey'], 5'11 W/F Blueprint Basketball Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Positionless as they come, Marlie was in her bag of tricks. On the defensive end, Bushey held it down inside/out with her rim protection, perimeter coverage, 94x50 pressure, and her rebounding. And once she secured the rock, she hit quick outlets or pushed it herself to make plays on the break. And offensively, she's all there. Jumpers, creation, inside scoring, etc. Marlie is one of VT's most exciting 2026s.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='630313' first='Dieuna' last='Beynonn'], 5'4 G - Blueprint Basketball Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dieuna got her offense running by asserting herself defensively. Beynonn's fullcourt pressure exhausted ballhandlers and she capitalized on their mistakes with smart plays off turnovers. Furthermore, Dieuna punctured the defense often in the halfcourt, making heady plays and finishing in the second layer as she cut up the defense. Beynonn's two-way game was on full display.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='630314' first='Alana' last='Crittenden'], 5'8 G - Blueprint Basketball Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Crittenden is relentless. Alana's fullcourt pressure caused havoc in the backcourt. Plus, her wing defense and crashing of the boards helped keep Essex from capturing second chance buckets. On the offensive end, Alana made smart decisions with the ball, attacked space, and made plays for herself and others off the dribble drive. She's got great feel and a ton of tenacity. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='579538' first='Rosa' last='Kori'], 5'10 W/F Blueprint Basketball Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highly versatile, Rosa showed her wide-ranging skillset. Kori's inside work kept the paint secure and the glass clean. Yet she got after it in the press too, rotating nicely to maintain pressure and force turnovers. Offensively, she glued it all together. Rosa made the basketball play, cut into space, and finished her looks. Her range is extending, and when it becomes consistent, watch out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='630342' first='Cassie' last='Boissoneault'], 5'7 G - Blueprint Basketball Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Very gluey, Cassie made things happen. She moved well in 94x50 pressure, and in the halfcourt she maintained tough ball pressure to wear Essex down. And on the other end, Cassie was very efficient. Boissoneault finished her open looks, inside and out, and made the basketball play time and time again with crisp, on-time and on-target passing. So solid. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Essex Killer Bees:</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Colleen Sonnick, 5'11 F - Essex Killer Bees Class of 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sonnick showed her dynamic skillset all game. The southpaw took care of a lot of inside work with her rim protection, rebounding, and help rotations. Plus, she demonstrated the ability to push the break and make plays in the open court. Then in the halfcourt, she battled inside for finishes, showed comfort on the wing, and collaborated with fellow bigs for interior scoring. Nice upside here. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='630364' first='Emma' last='Hogson'], 5'10 F - Essex Killer Bees Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A force inside, Emma was unrelenting in her attack of the basket. Hogson showed she's got moves from the block and the elbow, able to play bully ball, face-up and slash, and draw fouls at a high rate. Furthermore, she made it tough defensively with her paint protection and rugged rebounding. I'm excited to see her ongoing development. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Reese Gregory, 5'6 G - Essex Killer Bees Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With Reese's strength and composure, she did her best to handle the constant defensive pressure that was a feature all game long. Gregory broke pressure when she could and trusted her teammates by making the right decisions against traps, then she organized in the halfcourt and attacked off the bounce. She was tough defensively and exhibited a great mind for the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Alexis Menard-O'Neal, 5'8 G - Essex Killer Bees Class of 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's another incoming high schooler to be excited about. Menard-O'Neal is like super glue considering she made numerous plays with her split-second decision making. Her court awareness was evident as she hit timely passes on the break and in the halfcourt. Plus, she finished her open looks with efficiency. And defensively, Alexis grinds, scrambles, and made it tough. I'm excited to see her grow. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->