Mid-State Tuesday Wrap Up

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Basketball in the state is back in action following the festive New Year and holiday break. Last night, conference foes battled it out, trying to get an uptick in district rankings. Gyms were packed, on court performance was at a premium, and you could tell teams were excited to get back on the court to compete. How did teams respond coming off the break? Many ball clubs were clicking on all cylinders.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Check out these notable hoopers from around the Mid-State area who were ready to go!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='514119' first='Merli' last='Routh'] (So./G/CPA)</strong>- The sophomore guard was putting on a show last night against Lipscomb Academy. She was in attack mode, locking up on defense, being a pest. She picked pockets, got deflections, all for the easy lay on the other end. She was in attack mode, getting paint touches with ease. Look for her to help lead CPA down the stretch as they battle it out for the top spot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='513275' first='Lily' last='Morrow'] (So./G/CPA)</strong>- She's back and hungrier than ever. Her ability to get down hill and finish looked amazing. She provided the necessary tempo on offense, picking her spots throughout the course of the game. Jumper here, put back here, O board there, she left her mark on the floor at all times. On defense, she cut off many drives, hedging picks and making LA players retreat dribble. Look for her to continue on an upwards trend as her and her squad gets revved up for district play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='405709' first='Daisy' last='Gale'] (Sr./G/ PCA)</strong>- The Mars Hill commit was too much for the Lady Lions of GCA. She dropped 19 points in a close battle that saw PCA stretch the lead late into the game. Daisy hit some clutch 3s down the stretch, as well as drove to the lane with confidence to finish against contact. She created chaos on D, shutting down GCA's momentum. DG is playing with a lot of confidence. Look for her to continue on this upwards trend as PCA hosts district foes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='513278' first='Kayte' last='Madison Bjornstad'] (So./C/PCA)</strong>- She is making her case for so many post season awards if there were such. Most Improved. Best Newcomer. Best Rebounder. Ect. KM had 18pts and 12 rebs against GCA. She anchored the paint and owned the boards throughout the course of the game. She was clutch from the field, displaying nice back to the basket moves. She had a knack for being at the right place at the right time, grabbing offensive boards from missed shots. Look for teams to try and stop her down the stretch. Her presence on the floor creates problems. Phenomenal player who is a big problem!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='810586' first='Addie' last='King'] (Jr./G/ Cannon Co.)</strong>- The junior guard was on point against Cascade as her ball club had an impressive win. She scored 18 points from the field, as well as brought in four rebounds and three steals. She had active hands and feet, being a nuisance on the defensive end. When she wasn't scoring in transition, she could be found spotting up for an easy bucket from 3. Look for her to Lady Lions to keep this momentum going throughout the rest of the season. They have big hopes in their sights. This is a talented ball club and Addie is one of the reasons why they are playing some great basketball. Tough kid who is coming into her own.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='805474' first='Jenna' last='Bush'] (Sr./F/ Cannon Co.)</strong>- Continues to amaze me. She is playing with confidence, power, poise, and with a tremendous work ethic. You talking about ripping away the hopes of an opponent, JB was doing that plus more. She scored 14 points, but it was her ability to lock up on the defensive end that was impressive. She had 7 blocks to go with her 8 rebounds. You talking about a momentum killer, her ability to win the possession war was huge. Look for her to be mentioned for All-District awards at the end of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->