Holiday Hoops Hidden Gems: Boardwalk Classic Day 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Day 2 saw two Showcase games featuring Millville vs Salem and Lower Cape May Regional vs Hammonton. The following six players caught my attention as emerging talents who are poised to do great things this season judging from the efforts they put forth today:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='827855' first='Angelina' last='Virelli'] | 5'7" CG | Hammonton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Angelina was a bright spot today in Hammonton's loss to Lower Cape May Regional. She seemed to do it all and do it quite well as she led all scorers with 14 points! She was electric running the floor hard, attacking the basket and initiating contact along the way. Defensively, Angelina was scrappy and forced a multitude of turnovers which she converted to fast break points. Her production kept the Blue Devils in it and gave the Caper Tigers a run for their money.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='488776' first='Kaitlyn' last='McGuigan'] | 5'6" PG | Lower Cape May</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the primary point, Kaitlyn handled the ball well and controlled the tempo. She played at a steady pace and didn't let the defense speed her up or force her into making poor decisions. She worked the defense and facilitated well, setting the shooters up for scoring opportunities. A vocal leader, she brought positive energy and effective in-game communication with her teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='827856' first='Hailey' last='Elwell'] | 5'6" SG | Lower Cape May </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hailey was phenomenal shooting the ball today. She was a spot-up sniper from deep (three 3-pointers) and got her shots off quickly before the defenders could close in on her and contest. Her movement without the ball was instrumental in her ability to free herself from defenders around the perimeter and get herself open. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='601416' first='Ava' last='Rodgers'] | 5'9" PF | Salem</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ava was solid as the Rams' interior presence. She looked to be assertive from the get-go and make plays under the rim. She called for the ball and posted up with authority, showing confidence in her skill-set. Though undersized as a center, she plays much bigger than her 5'9" frame the way she establishes in the blow block. She was also strong on screens and re-screens in the high-post.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='827857' first='Jaylynn' last='Jones'] | 5'5" CG | Millville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the Thunderbolts' win against the Rams of Salem, Jaylynn showed off solid footwork and some really nice moves getting to the rim. She wasn't afraid to take defenders off the bounce and showed glimpses of explosiveness getting to the basket. She looked comfortable with the ball in her hands and made smart decisions when moving the ball around, keeping her turnovers low. Come to think of it, I don't think she had a single turnover! Her upside is truly impressive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='326402' first='Brooke' last='Joslin'] | 5'9" SF | Millville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brooke's game-high 18 points came in a number of ways. She was aggressive on the dribble drive, confident from the mid-range and showed off her range with a deep 3-point dagger. She maintained high energy throughout and never seemed to tire! Her ability to create for herself and for others was the difference-maker in Millville's win against Salem.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->