Central Jersey's X-FACTORS | Prep Girls Hoops

With the NJSIAA state tournament just around the corner, we turn our attention to some of Central Jersey's often overlooked and underappreciated players who might just be the key to their respective teams make a deep run in the playoffs. Each of these hoopers bring something different to the table and play crucial roles on their squads.   [player_tooltip player_id='525475' first='Kimi' last='Sayson'] | Shore   In her first season with the Blue Devils since transferring from Long Branch, Kimi has made an immediate impact with her dynamic two-way game. She runs the point with full command and causes chaos on the defensive end as well. Key stops in close games against Freehold Boro in late December and Monmouth in early January secured both victories and served as key examples of Kimi's ability to control both ends of the floor. With her electric energy, excellent court vision and sharp execution, Shore's chances to repeat as sectional champs look might good!   [player_tooltip player_id='325195' first='Rhian' last='Stokes'] | Ewing   One third of Ewing's "three-headed monster," Rhian's ability to DO IT ALL and do it remarkably well will take Ewing as far as they want to go in the post-season. While she's the school's all-time leading scorer, it's her lockdown, blue-collar defense that elevates this squad and truly makes them dangerous. Averaging just under 6 steals per game, Rhian wreaks havoc on D. She has excellent anticipatory skills and elite footwork/lateral movement, making it quite the task for any ball-handler to get by her. Her scrappy defense propelled Ewing to a close 61-56 dub over NJ power Paul VI (5 steals) and a 51-45 escape of Rumson-Fair Haven (6 steals) earlier this season. Her ability to convert defense to offense and ignite the fast break is just flat out masterful.   [player_tooltip player_id='588000' first='Angelina' last='Benitez'] | Hightstown   Angelina's pass-first point guard mentality has helped Hightstown achieve a tremendous 21-3 record, including a 7-0 conference run. She has more than doubled her total assists from a season ago and is dishing out dimes with laser-precision at a furious pace! Whether it's a drive and dish, finding a teammate cutting to the hoop or delivering perfectly-placed post-entry passes, Angelina's court vision has been magnificent. Couple that with the ability to score at will and put the clamps on defensively and you have yourself the ULTIMATE x-factor. She heads into the Group 4 playoffs with averages of 7.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 5.5 apg & 3.8 spg.   [player_tooltip player_id='414408' first='Alexis' last='Lease-Springer'] | South Brunswick   A player this tough is hard to come by! Whenever things get tight for the Vikings they can count on Alexis's tenacity and play-making skills to pull them out of a hole. She puts in work across the board and stuffs the stat sheet game after game. She is confident shooting from deep and also creates inside, putting points on the board in a variety of ways. Alexis has been excellent all season long rebounding from the guard spot averaging just under 5 per contest and ranking second on her team in total rebounds. I believe it's this hard-nosed, gritty, aggressive type of playing style that will help South Brunswick possibly pull off upsets in Group 4.   [player_tooltip player_id='414238' first='Sylvie' last='Notine'] | Rumson-Fair Haven   Sylvie gives the Bulldogs an edge over most teams in Group 4 because of the sheer athleticism she brings to the table. She pushes the pace, has a high motor and can flat-out shoot it! She was the difference-maker in close wins against Union City (43-42; 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal), Red Bank Regional (46-39; 7 points) and Wall (54-45; 16 points). Sylvie's confidence, execution and smart decision-making in real-time has helped RFH to a 15-8 record thus far. She's a jill-of-all-trades who can be relied upon to get her team into an offensive flow and also locked in on defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='854472' first='Alexa' last='Fernandez'] | New Egypt   Alexa has given New Egypt a solid third scoring option this season. She is their 3-point go-to whose hot shooting has willed the Warriors to victories over Moorestown Friends (45-25; 14 points, four 3-pointers) and Florence (45-30; 12 points, four 3-pointers). And while her spot-up shooting has been sharp thus far, it's her willingness to continue learning that has made her senior year a memorable one. High energy and a never-say-die attitude is just what may fuel New Egypt to cause some big upsets in Group 1.   [player_tooltip player_id='601516' first='Majiah' last='Quarles'] | Neptune   She might be small but boy is she mighty! At just 5'3", Majiah is flat-out fearless when she takes the court, totally unafraid to drive inside and initiate contact or fight for rebounds at times with opponents a foot taller! It's this toughness and tenacity that Neptune will need heading into an ultra-competitive Group 3 bracket. She's also upped the ante on defense and has more than tripled her total steals from he freshman season! An emerging two-way threat, Majiah's increased production on both sides of the ball will be key if the Scarlet Fliers want to make some noise and go on a deep run this post-season.   [player_tooltip player_id='488729' first='Savannah' last='Butz'] | Colts Neck   Having a versatile six-foot guard-forward like Savannah on your team is an advantage many teams in Group 3 don't have! She's tough in the paint & buries shots from deep, causing a match-up nightmare for opponents. With four games in double-figure rebounding thus far this season, she pounds the glass & pulls down o-boards with authority, giving her team crucial second chance scoring opportunities. Her size & versatility will be instrumental to the Cougars' playoff success because when Savannah's on fire, she's tough to extinguish!

With the NJSIAA state tournament just around the corner, we turn our attention to some of Central Jersey's often overlooked and underappreciated players who might just be the key to their respective teams make a deep run in the playoffs. Each of these hoopers bring something different to the table and play crucial roles on their squads.