Lexington Christmas Classic: Silver Division Sensations
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The 2023 rendition of the Lexington Christmas Classic is indeed in the books. This year’s tournament featured a total of 13 varsity teams being split between the Gold Bracket and Silver Division. In addition, a number of junior varsity teams…
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Continue ReadingThe 2023 rendition of the Lexington Christmas Classic is indeed in the books.
This year’s tournament featured a total of 13 varsity teams being split between the Gold Bracket and Silver Division. In addition, a number of junior varsity teams were also on hand to take part in this year’s festivities.
With six teams as part of the Silver field, it represented more of a division rather than a traditional bracket, but there were still a number of noteworthy performances that took place at the home of the 5A Wildcats. Without further adieu, here are some of those who caught our attention.
Lane Swan
Lane Swan
How does a team bounce back from a tough loss against a SCISA foe? By playing the first contest of the Lexington Christmas Classic’s Silver Division and leading her team to a commanding victory. That was the case for SCISA 4A Ben Lippen. Swan finished with 16 points as her Falcons earned a dominant 59-29 victory over North. Swan uses her height to her advantage on many a play and can connect on two-point attempts either right near the basket or via a floater. She also understands that the game is played on contact and will give her team plenty of opportunities at the free throw line.
Amariyah Calloway Amariyah Calloway 5'4" | PG North | 2028 SC
Amariyah Calloway Amariyah Calloway 5'4" | PG North | 2028 SC
Calloway’s 1A North assembling may not have achieved the result it was hoping for against a tough SCISA 4A Ben Lippen team. Calloway still managed a valiant effort as she led her Eagles with 11 points. As an eighth grader, Calloway displayed a great deal of the upside that should bode well for her as her career blossoms. She is listed at 5-foot-4 on North’s roster and primarily plays at the one as a point guard. Calloway displayed her ability to score at all three levels and is willing to draw contact to give her team opportunities at the free throw line. Calloway played her first season at the varsity level last season as a seventh grader.
The sophomore Brown is establishing herself on a leader on what is a young Keenan team that has shown plenty of promise in 2023-24. Brown’s Raiders were involved in one of the more entertaining matchups of Saturday’s play which resulted in a 48-44 victory for the 2A assembling from the Midlands. Brown tallied 14 points en route to the win. Versatility is a central element to Brown’s game with her ability to play either of the guard spots in the backcourt or as a three in the frontcourt. While Brown did much of her damage in the first half, her second half points were vital in the Raiders’ win with her ability to draw contact and convert at the free throw line.
Zanayia Harrison
Zanayia Harrison
Harrison’s 4A South Aiken group nearly completed a comeback against 2A Keenan on Saturday afternoon. The Thoroughbreds’ efforts may have come up short, but Harrison’s 15 points managed to keep the T-breds within striking distance for all 32 minutes. Harrison had a great deal of success from behind the 3-point line as she made all five of her tries from downtown. She is also a tough one to contend with on the defensive end as she will match an opposing offensive player step for step. Harrison plays with a high basketball IQ as she does not let her 5-foot-2 stature keep her from getting in position to grab rebounds – and convert on potential putbacks.
Young’s 4A Raiders team is already looking much improved from their 2022-23 rendition. The play of the veteran Young is a major reason why. Young led all scorers on Saturday with 24 points as Laurens earned a 56-34 victory to dispatch of Northside Christian. Those who have had the chance to watch the Raiders play know what one will get from young. She converts on many high-percentage opportunity and will gladly play the game on contact. She will also corral plenty of offensive rebounds and works for everything she gets. Her height plus her length make her hard to score on when she is on defense.
Natalie Walke
Natalie Walke
As a senior, Walke is looking to conclude her high school career on the right pair of sneakers. Her SCISA 3A Northside Christian team may not have achieved the result it was looking for against a tough 4A Laurens squad, but she still came away with a 13-point performance to key the Crusaders’ efforts. Walke particularly has no problems drawing contact to give her team additional chances at the free throw line. The majority of the points she had on Saturday were at the charity stripe. Walke also recently led the Northside Christian cross country team to its first-ever state championship.