She Got Next Christmas Classic: Akiem’s Top 10 (1-5)
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For one weekend during the Holiday season, 28 of the state’s premier high school girls basketball teams called the Upstate home. The second of this year’s She Got Next events – the Christmas Classic – shifted the scene from the…
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Continue ReadingFor one weekend during the Holiday season, 28 of the state’s premier high school girls basketball teams called the Upstate home.
The second of this year’s She Got Next events – the Christmas Classic – shifted the scene from the Midlands and White Knoll HS – where the Thanksgiving event was – to J.L. Mann and Mauldin. Hosted by A1 Hoops Report, the event featured a total of 26 teams sorted into seven brackets.
We at Prep Girls Hoops were on hand for all of the festivities on Friday. Without further adieu, we spotlight our top 10 performers from the day’s play at J.L. Mann HS.
Buff’s 4A Wade Hampton assembling was locked in a close contest with 5A Goose Creek. With the star sophomore tallying a game-high 29 points, she played a major role in ensuring her Generals would indeed complete a comeback bid vs. the Gators. Buff displayed plenty of accuracy from behind the 3-point line as she made six triples for the contest. If it was not a 3-pointer, she was likely converting on layups near the rim. She has worn the uniform of FBC Untamed Hawks throughout the spring and summer months of her AAU career. There is a reason why battle-tested teams like last season’s 4A Upper State finalists win close games like that one was.
Highlights
The final matchup of the day at J.L. Mann saw Owens’ 4A Pickens bunch take to the court against the premier 1A team in the state in Military Magnet. One could have expected a game such as this one to go either way, but Owens’ 21 points were the difference in propelling the Blue Flame to victory over the Eagles. What was especially remarkable about Owens’ performance was how she got to 21 despite only converting on four shots from the field. While ball handling and passing skills were among what she was able to get accomplished, Owens drew plenty of attention from the Eagles defense which meant she drew plenty of contact. That gave her plenty of opportunities at the free throw line and she was true on 13 of her tries from the charity stripe. Unfortunately for Owens, she hurt her ankle towards the end of Saturday’s game.
Berkeley’s rise up the 5A ranks has been one of the big stories of the 2023-24 season as it reaches its midpoint. That rise has been keyed in large part by youngsters such as Levey. The freshman led all Stags scorers with 20 points to lead her team to a 69-40 victory over SCISA 4A Cardinal Newman. As a scorer and a rebounder, Levey showed herself to be a tough out for anyone who draws her as a defensive assignment. She is listed at 5-foot-11 and can log productive minutes as either a four or a five. Levey even for her young status knows the game is played on contact – especially in the interior – and will take her chances at the free throw line.
Highlights
Because of a last-minute scheduling change to Saturday’s lineup of games, Military Magnet particularly had a busy schedule that Friday at J.L. Mann. Watson began said day with a 20-point performance to lead her Eagles to a 63-40 victory over 5A Boiling Springs. Military Magnet has built its reputation as a defensive-minded team and Watson is certainly one of the stalwarts to the Eagles’ efforts on that end of the floor. Much of that defense translates to Military Magnet offense and much of that offense features Watson attacking the rim and delivering strong finishes at the rim. She will draw contact on many of those tries and get to the free throw line.
Moore gained plenty of valuable varsity experience last season as an eighth grader. She also keeps a very busy athletics schedule as she plays varsity soccer at First Baptist in addition to basketball. The She Got Next Christmas Classic was the latest stop on the Hurricanes’ very busy midseason tournament slate and Moore powered her team to a 60-40 victory by virtue of the 18 points she placed on the board. There have been attributes that she has obtained from soccer that translate well to the basketball court – including speed. Moore can throw defenses for a loop with her ability to score at all three levels and puts a great deal of emphasis on attacking the basket.