Down The Stretch Hoops

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's an interesting time of the year. This week is the final preparation for some schools right before the district tournament. In the single A private schools sector, district play opens up. Either way, teams across the state locked horns to battle it out one final time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Monday and Tuesday of this week, we saw some stellar performances across the state. Kids not only got better, but also increased their stock as they tried to will their teams to a win. Another important note, girls also tried to solidify their names for potential after season accolades. That's another topic for down the road.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As both Monday and Tuesday night games concluded, here are some top performers who showed up to show out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tatianna Stovall (Jr./F/ Bradley Central)</strong>- Big shout out to her. I'm going to tell you like this, she's a gamer and is willing to star in whatever assignment coach gives her. A selfless player who went up against Masingale of McMinn Central and held her to two points. Stovall has drawn some tough assignments this season and she has stepped up to every challenge. She finished the contest with 10 points and 19 rebounds. Her performance solidified the Lady Bearettes as one of the best and the hottest ball clubs in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Daria Biriuk (Jr./G/ Webb- Bell Buckle)</strong>- The international hooper was on fire from the field scoring 17 points on Monday. It wasn't just about her putting the ball in the hole, it was how she was finishing. Breaking girls down off the dribble, put backs, transition buckets off turnovers, opportunities such as these make her an interesting and well sought after prospect. The kid is good and she will be one of the big time reasons the Lady Feet will make some noise in the tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='804734' first='Mikaela' last='Reynolds'] (Sr./G/ McKenzie)</strong>- She was on a tear against Milan dropping 19 points Tuesday night. She was on a mission as she knifed through their D as well as let it fly from the arc. With her batterymate [player_tooltip player_id='290967' first='Savannah' last='Davis'] bringing home 17pts as well, this McKenzie squad is ready for action as the district tournament nears.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='290727' first='Anna' last='Lee Avery'] (Sr./G/ Houston)</strong>- The sharpshooter was a thorn in Cordova's side. She led the Lady Mustangs with 27 points, knocking it down from every level on the court. Her confidence grew and grew every time she touched the ball. With great size and a long reach, Avery is a tough opponent to deal with inside and out. She's a heady player who brings a ton of talent to the floor. She's on a mission to go out with a bang in her senior year. Look for her and her club to stack some wins as they get ready for district play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='245354' first='Addison' last='Melton'] (Sr./G/ Central Magnet)</strong>- She is that girl plus more. Addison is just a hooper that comes to play. She's been on a scoring tear, dropping close to 100 points in her last 4 games. She just puts the ball in the hole in many ways. From the arc coming off screens, pull up action, off the dribble action to get downhill. She is a complete player who just doesn't star on the offensive end, but contributes in many other statistical categories. One of the best two way players in the state, look for her to lead her ball club towards state contention.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br><strong>AC Shirley (So./G/MTCS)</strong>- Tough guard who led her club to a first round win of opening night of district play in Single A basketball. She was deadly from the field, leading her club with 27 points. Anna Clay was on it and she was confident in all her actions. She looked comfortable with the ball in her hands and locked in on all her shot releases. The kid is a special talent in the Murfreesboro area. When she's on, she is hard to stop. Battle tested in this type of setting since the 8th grade, look for her to help lead the Lady Cougars back to state contention.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->