“Fresh” New Players Emerge in the Gateway Tournament

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Gateway Conference Tournament was held in Jacksonville and featured some very good talent from all classes. In this article, we look at some of the Freshman players who suited up and played in the tournament. These young players have made huge impacts this season and were poised to make huge contributions in the Gateway Tournament. In this article we take a look at some of the top new talent on the First Coast and evaluate their performance in the tournament. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='748533' first='Falisa' last='White'] is a force to be reckoned with, and she could go down as one of the top players in the city as a Freshman. She is a combination of power and athleticism all in one. She can shoot the three, she can pound it inside and play through physicality. She is a force on the boards, where she gets her share of offensive rebounds and powerful putbacks. On the defensive boards, she grabs the rebound and starts the break herself. She takes a lot of then coast to coast, and she also facilitates to her teammates when the lane closes down. White is one of the top Freshman prospects on the First Coast and probably a top five talent in the 2027 class in the State of Florida. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='843386' first='Lyric' last='Hewitt'] was really impressive in the Gateway tournament and she is light years Freshman. She has great court awareness, a high basketball IQ, and has great understanding of playing basketball. She was a cool customer on the court and played the championship game with an unflappable demeanor. On the court, she was just as impressive. Her ability to run the floor in transition with the ball in her hand or filling the lane was special and she finished with the left and the right hand. Defensively, she plays on the ball very well and leads her team in steals. She also does a good job going to the glass from her guard position. She is a bolt of energy and keeps a lot of plays alive with her relentless pursuit of the ball. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='843397' first='Karli' last='Torres'] played well in the Gateway and she was particularly impressive operating around the glass, especially on the offensive glass. She scored primarily on offensive putbacks. Torres rebounded extremely well, posting 16 rebounds and 14 rebounds in back to back games and posted a double-double in one of the games. Torres also provided a strong defensive presence in the paint. She is young player who is going to be a good one, and I'm looking forward to seeing her play again this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='221599' first='Caelyn' last='Carter'] (cover) is another young player who has played well this season and had some impactful moments in the Gateway Finals. Carter connected on a three pointer and showed some nifty footwork on a move to the basket. She has a great awareness on the court and the moment never seems to big for her. Carter does a good job of getting to her spots and shooting the ball. She can string a lot of threes together when she gets it going. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='843385' first='Tasandra' last='Williams'] caught my eye immediately. Her ability to play in transition and in the open court was a thing of beauty. The pull-up left hand midrange jumper was very impressive. Williams is a shifty player who has a passion for the game. She has the ability to finish on the left or right.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='221598' first='Trinity' last='Berry'] has played well this season and she entered the season as one of the Freshmen to watch this year - and for good reason. Berry has great size, a lot of skills, and plays witha lot of confidence. Berry can shoot the three, she can take it to the rim, and she can handle the ball. Berry also does a good job on the defensive end and is versatile enought to guard several positions on the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->