I Have A Dream Showcase: Top 5 Performers
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The 2023-24 season reaching the middle of January means said regular season is close to reaching the far turn and it will not be long before South Carolina’s high school girls basketball squads home to go charging into the home…
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Continue ReadingThe 2023-24 season reaching the middle of January means said regular season is close to reaching the far turn and it will not be long before South Carolina’s high school girls basketball squads home to go charging into the home stretch.
West Florence HS in the Pee Dee hosted the I Have A Dream Showcase on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. A total of 16 teams – eight girls and eight boys – were on hand for the day’s festivities.
As were we at Prep Girls Hoops. While there were a number of standout performances, these five in particular caught our attention.
Typically, playing at The Castle is hostile territory for anyone wearing South Florence colors. For the 4A Bruins on Monday morning, it was anything but as Montgomery led her team to a 58-29 win to dispatch of 2A Cheraw. She finished with 17 points and displayed many of the qualities that has made her one of the state’s premier seniors. Montgomery’s ability to score from all three levels is complimented by what she can get accomplished as a passer. She plays with a heads-up attitude – particularly on defense and it is a mentality that can lead to steals and additional possessions.
Highlights
Johnson’s West Florence team had a golden opportunity to add to its win total against a 3A Dreher team that was winless for the season. Thanks to the 14 points that Johnson placed on the board on West Florence’s refurbished home court, the Knights were successful in defeating the Blue Devils with the final being 51-43. Johnson was an element of a West Florence offensive attack that placed plenty of emphasis on converting on high-percentage shots in the paint. This included hauling in offensive rebounds that would become two-point putbacks and playing on contact to get to the free throw line.
Diamond Berry
Diamond Berry
The adage certainly applies here – Berry shined bright like a Diamond. Even though 3A Dreher was unsuccessful in its bid to claim its first win of the season against 4A West Florence, the Knights defense could not stop the star senior guard. Berry scored a game-high 30 points to keep the Blue Devils in the contest from start to finish. She showcased a great deal of accuracy from behind the 3-point line as she was true on six of her attempts from deep. Berry also kept the West Florence defense guessing with her rim attacking capabilities, passing ability, speed and ball handling through defenders.
SCISA 4A Trinity Collegiate’s matchup with SCHSL 4A Lugoff-Elgin evolved into a classic tale of two halves. While the Demons looked to give the Titans a scare in the first half, Legette led her team to a comfortable 84-51 triumph. Legette finished with 21 points and the bulk of her damage came in the second half. She is as every bit as dangerous on defense as she is on offense. On a number of occasions in the third quarter, Legette managed to collect a steal from a Lugoff-Elgin ball handler and turn it into two points. Legette keeps defenses guessing with her rim attacking abilities along with her 3-point shooting and understands when the right times are to score and distribute.
On many an occasion once a standout makes her college commitment, said player can play with a bit of a spring in her step. Frierson recently announced her commitment to Lander University – a school that has seen many top-tier in-state recruits pass through its ranks. Frierson’s 4A Hartsville assembling was locked in a contest with 2A Lee Central in a matchup many a pundit felt was the girls game of the day to watch. She led her team to victory with 16 points. One must particularly take note of what she can get accomplished on defense and she possesses rim attacking ability and a midrange game that can frustrate opponents. Watch out as well for her lefty finish.