Skyhawk Holiday Classic: Day Two Top Performers
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December’s final days not only mean the final days of the calendar year 2023. It also means the conclusion of the bulk of the midseason tournament and showcase slate of the 2023-24 high school girls basketball season. One of those…
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Continue ReadingDecember’s final days not only mean the final days of the calendar year 2023. It also means the conclusion of the bulk of the midseason tournament and showcase slate of the 2023-24 high school girls basketball season.
One of those final showcases, of course, is the annual Skyhawk Holiday Classic put together by LBI Carolina and staged every year at Hammond School – a SCISA 4A institution in the Midlands.
We at Prep Girls Hoops also made the trip down to the Skyhawks’ nest for the day’s festivities. Without further adieu, here is our top five performers from Friday’s play at Hammond.
Taelor Hiller-Johnson Taelor Hiller-Johnson 6'0" | C Lower Richland | 2025 State SC
Taelor Hiller-Johnson Taelor Hiller-Johnson 6'0" | C Lower Richland | 2025 State SC
Day Two of this season’s Skyhawk Holiday Classic commenced in commanding fashion with a 77-30 victory by 3A Lower Richland over 4A Lugoff-Elgin. Hiller-Johnson spearheaded the charge for the Diamond Hornets with an 18-point performance. It appeared as if whenever one of her Lower Richland teammates found her in the painted area, she was an automatic two points. As skilled a player as she is – especially in the interior, Hiller-Johnson can get plenty of attention from defenses. Hiller-Johnson is listed at an even six feet and also provides plenty of rebounding strength. Along with operating as a big, she will also play productive minutes as a four.
The victory for 4A South Pointe over 2A Eau Claire was so dominant we had to feature a pair from the Stallions for their stellar court work. One of those came from the starting five in their feature center. Cunningham led all Stallions scorers with 21 points to spearhead the interior attack South Pointe overwhelmed Eau Claire with. Her skillset and presence in the painted area makes Cunningham a tough out for any opposing five. Part of this is because not only is she effective in converting on her attempts near the rim, but she wins plenty of rebounding battles.
Ailema Land Ailema Land 5'8" | SF South Pointe | 2028 SC
Ailema Land Ailema Land 5'8" | SF South Pointe | 2028 SC
Those within the South Carolina high school sports scene know many of the current names that comprise the juggernaut that is 4A South Pointe. As is the case with every program, new names will emerge. One of those new names to possibly watch out for in the future is Land. The Stallions’ bench had an impressive showing against Eau Claire and Land saw plenty of playing time off South Pointe’s bench. Land may have the build of a big or even a three or four, but she displays the handles of a one or two along with getting from one end of the court to the other with a great deal of speed.
The homestanding Skyhawks of SCISA 4A Hammond bounced back from a blowout loss against South Pointe to score a 76-45 triumph over 3A Crestwood. With 27 points, Hyman was once again instrumental in the Hammond victory. Hyman has no problems drawing contact and getting to the free throw line – and she displayed that early as much of said early production was at the charity stripe. Hammond’s roster has her at 5-foot-9 – certainly ideal for the three and four spots on the court she typically plays at. Defenses have to particularly watch out for her if she is in the interior as she is also a gifted rebounder and high-percentage shot maker.
As of Friday evening, Fawcett Indoor Stadium was anything but kind to Martin’s 3A Crestwood team. Defeats to Lower Richland and host Hammond were proof of it. Despite the losses, Martin certainly had herself a winning performance on Friday night against the Skyhawks. She tallied 20 points to lead all Knights scorers that night. Martin is anything but shy about trying to make things happen from long range. She is also a skilled rim attacker and displays plenty of speed when she has the ball in her hand. Martin has also competed in track and field events throughout her athletic career.