Atlantic City Showcase 16U - Dynamic Duos

<p>It was a weekend filled with great basketball and great exposure for the young ladies in attendance. College coaches were everywhere at the Atlantic City Convention Center and, though there were dynamic duos all over the place, these were some of the standout local dynamic duos in the 16U division.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Alexis Eberz and Erica Gribble - Comets 16U GUAA</h2>   <p>Alexis made plays in a lot of different ways for the Comets this weekend. She stepped out and shot the ball from the arc with confidence, she shot it in the mid-range and was not afraid to attack the paint rim and finish. She created contact and got to the foul line where she displayed a smooth stroke. She is part of an active motion offense that runs very efficiently. She is a key cog in this system and does it at both ends. In a place that had 30+ games going on at once, you could hear Alexis playing defense and communicating with her teammates. Teammate Erica Gribble plays with a cool confidence. She is very efficient offensively. She is a 3-level scorer, she showed a good handle and got to the rim several times while also getting to the foul line. She and Eberz combined for 11 foul shots in a win against United NJ P24 and each scored in double digits. They were also key factors in a dominating win over [program_tooltip program_id='714654' first='NJ' last='Shoreshots'] HGSL where Alexis and Erica both filled the stat sheet. Erica is a confident defender and able to create turnovers with good positioning and very good footwork. These girls even played a 2nd game for the shorthanded Comets GUAA 17U on Sunday and fit in seamlessly.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='352994' first='London' last='Powell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='601267' first='Mia' last='Washington'] - Empire State Blue Flames 16U Power 24</h2>   <p>Like the 17U Empire team, the 16U team has a dynamic duo that leads the way almost every game. They have contrasting styles, but both get the job done. London is patient with the ball and when she has it, she tries to get into the paint before settling for jumpers. She has the strength to finish through contact and her patience allows to her to get to two feet and finish in multiple ways inside and get to the foul line continuously. She has a strong pull up game as well and off the ball she spots up and looks to shoot the 3 on ball reversals. Mia can attack at both ends of the floor. Offensively she is at her best getting downhill to the rim and using her speed and length to get past and finish over defenders. She will set you up with the left-hand dribble and crossover hard to her right and get to the rack. She has added a nice step-back jumper that she uses when she gets defenders on their heels and her 3-point shot continues to improve. She brings just as much on defense as she does on offense. She is an elite on the ball defender with great footwork and the length to get steals and keep opposing offenses from getting into their sets. London and Mia were definitely showcased this weekend and I witnessed the display in wins over Lady Runnin Rebels HGSL and Teams Sharp Select 40. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='559043' first='Katie' last='Liggio'] and [player_tooltip player_id='559041' first='Tessa' last='Liggio'] - [program_tooltip program_id='714654' first='NJ' last='Shoreshots'] 16U HGSL</h2>   <p>Sisters, high school teammates and AAU teammates the chemistry is obvious when you watch these girls play. Saw them play three of their four games in Atlantic City and they showcased their abilities throughout the weekend. Katie was the difference in a close win over United NJ Power 24. She didn't shoot a high percentage but got good looks and made shots when her team needed points. She was the only player in double figures in Game 1. Against the FBC United DMV GUAA zone, she got to display her shooting range and consistency, repeatedly burning them from the 3-point line and well beyond. Tessa ran the point with efficiency. She is an excellent passer in transition and routinely passes ahead to get teammates easy shots. She controls the offense in the halfcourt. She has deep shooting range and can get in the lane and finish when all else fails for their offense. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='559042' first='London' last='Caldwell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='559076' first='Jayah' last='Curtis'] - [program_tooltip program_id='714664' first='Team' last='Sharp'] Carolina 16U Select 40</h2>   <p>London's move to [program_tooltip program_id='714664' first='Team' last='Sharp'] from New Heights has been seamless. She is the same electric player with the ball in her hands. She gets up and down the court quickly with the ball in her hands and is very comfortable pushing tempo. She has good vision in transition and routinely sets up teammates for layups. In the halfcourt, London has an excellent ability to get past defenders and finish in the lane at the rim or with her floater game. She can guard baseline to baseline and absolutely pester opposing offenses with her quick feet and active hands. [program_tooltip program_id='714664' first='Team' last='Sharp'] and Montclair Immaculate teammate [player_tooltip player_id='559076' first='Jayah' last='Curtis'] is the other half of this dynamic duo. She is a long wing who can get downhill and attack the rim and is very comfortable stepping out and draining the 3 ball. She has a confident stroke and hurt a lot of teams in a lot of ways in Atlantic City. Her motor is what separates her. She gets up and down the court filling lanes in transition. She is a full court defender and works hard in the paint rebounding the ball. This team has guards and size, and Jayah's versatility allows her to fit in with any lineup [program_tooltip program_id='714664' first='Team' last='Sharp'] puts on the floor. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='564268' first='Toni' last='Pernetti'] and [player_tooltip player_id='651485' first='Kaitlyn' last='Platt'] - United NJ 16U Power 24</h2>   <p>Toni was one of the most versatile defenders on any level in Atlantic City. She guards every position on the floor with the same ferocity. She is a multiple effort defender, exceptional at blitzing ball screens and communicates switches seamlessly. Toni defends with a high IQ, is not afraid to be physical and blocks or contests shots without fouling. Offensively, she made the most of her scoring opportunities by shooting a high percentage in AC. She scored with her back to the basket in the post, in transition and on pick and roll. She also showed a smooth stroke on multiple trips to the foul line and on the corner 3-pointer. Kaitlyn's scoring was on full display as she finished in double figures in multiple games. She is a talented 3-point shooter with deep range but did most of her damage in the paint in AC, attacking off the bounce and using multiple moves and a strong frame to finish at a high rate. She is patient with the ball and doesn't force her shots but finds ways to get them off whenever she wants. Defensively, she blocks lots of shots with excellent timing and is a physical rebounder. Kaitlyn is adept at hitting cutters with good passes leading to layups. This dynamic duo hit each other for baskets on back-to-back possessions to key a 2nd half rally against the Comets GUAA that eventually cut the lead from 19 to 2 before falling just short.</p>

It was a weekend filled with great basketball and great exposure for the young ladies in attendance. College coaches were everywhere at the Atlantic City Convention Center and, though there were dynamic duos all over the place, these were some of the standout local dynamic duos in the 16U division.