Game Report: City High vs Liberty
In this article:
On Friday night I had the opportunity to watch City High take on Liberty in matchup that came down to the wire. In the end, the Liberty Lightning took care of business and snuck out of The Birdcage with a…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOn Friday night I had the opportunity to watch City High take on Liberty in matchup that came down to the wire. In the end, the Liberty Lightning took care of business and snuck out of The Birdcage with a 59-52 win. In the article below, I’m going to give a more descriptive breakdown of the game itself and cover some of the players that stood out the most.
Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!
The best player that I saw on Friday night was Isabella Tafolla Isabella Tafolla 5’7″ | PG Iowa City Liberty | 2024 State IA of Liberty High School. Tafolla was firing on all cylinders. She was hitting jump shots from all over, creating with her dribble both in the half court and the full court, and she made important plays throughout the entire ball game. When Tafolla plays in control, she is very good. She has a shifty handle and the knowledge of when to use it offensively, while also having a lightning quick release from behind the three point line. Defensively, she makes a lot of good choices when it comes to the risk/reward side of going for steals or takeaways. She doesn’t get beat often and she if she does, she can make up space to recover in good time. All in all, I was impressed with her performance and very impressed with her overall game.
Highlights
The second best player on the floor in this contest was August Palmer August Palmer 5’10” | PG Iowa City-City High | 2025 State IA of City High. Palmer, a 5’10 Point Guard, left it all on the court and did all that she could to try and help her team come out with a win. I’ve seen Palmer a handful of times now in person and she does some things really well. She has a great offensive demeanor to attack the hoop on every possessions with the skill-set to match. There are times or were in this game, when I thought she could have kept it more simple. As in just attacking the rim and going through the defender compared to hitting multiple counter moves prior. Other than that, I thought she had a productive evening. She is going to be a good college player in a few years, she just needs to continue to grind and expand her game.
Highlights
Natalie Ramsey
Natalie Ramsey
Someone that I did not know much about prior to Friday night from the Liberty side was Natalie Ramsey but I sure do now. Ramsey made her presence known from tip-off to the final buzzer. She stepped up to lead her team in scoring with 17 points on 4/11 shooting, including going 9/12 from the free throw line and grabbing 8 rebounds in the process. In the end, this contest was a team effort but a big reason for this win came because of the play of Ramsey. She stands with good size, knowledge of the game, and an above average motor on both sides of the floor. If she can continue this production for the rest of the season, the Liberty will end this year off on a positive note. Something that is more then possible at this point.
Kaitlin Loria Kaitlin Loria 5'10" | SF IC City High | 2027 IA
Kaitlin Loria Kaitlin Loria 5'10" | SF IC City High | 2027 IA
Kaitlin Loria Kaitlin Loria 5’10” | SF IC City High | 2027 IA may have had one of the quietest double-double’s that I have been in attendance for in a long time. Loria, a 5’11 Freshman Forward, ended the game with 13 points on 60% shooting and 13 rebounds. The best way to describe Loria’s game is smart and physical. She does a great job of using her length near the hoop to either score or defend, depending on what side of the floor she is on. On most possessions, she does a great job of doing her work early and because of that, she is always in an open spot somewhere around the court. I’ll have my eye on this City Team the rest of the year. If they continue to work and some other players can step up consisntely on the offensive end, they could beat some highly ranked teams before everything is said and done this season.
Emmy McComas
Emmy McComas
Another player that has size, skill, and showed promise in this contest was Emmy McComas. McComas is a 5’11 Junior and she does a handful of good things on the floor for her City High team. She is more fundamental than anything else and she doesn’t try to force any action. From everything I have seen, this could be their third player. The other piece that they have stepped up this winter, to give some production each and every game. Her mixture of height, ability with the ball in her hands, and knowledge of when to do what, could lead her to having a memorable high school career.