Not-So-Hidden Gems: Prime Event East, Day 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of these ballers may have been flying under the radar before today, but I can assure you that they have arrived and their time is NOW! For the second consecutive day, I had my head on a swivel checking out action on the main courts and way back on the "Lego" courts. The following ladies made their impacts felt on this warm Sunday at Spooky Nook and really impressed me!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='771777' first='Lauren' last='Gentile'] | NJ Raptors</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>She took it to Team PA this morning with a barrage of baseline floaters, 15-foot jumpers and electric rim-running. She fed the big with the post-entry pass and made sure the offense clicked and gelled.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='601329' first='Briana' last='Holt'] | NJ Raptors</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Briana's size and mobility was a big issue for the opponent today. She was just as comfortable posting up and playing tough around the rim as she was taking it coast to coast, leading with her body and laying it in for 2. She handles the ball well for a big and has nice versatility in her overall game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='976663' first='Ariana' last='Madrid'] | NJ Raptors</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Super gritty! She was all over the ball on defense, smothering the opponent. She sacrificed her body on a lot of plays, taking heavy contact and trying to draw the charge call on the opponent. She fought through a lower leg injury in the first half and returned a few minutes later as if nothing ever happened! Tough as nails!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='338820' first='Milan' last='Jones'] | NJ Raptors</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Her long reach was problematic for Team PA on Court 4 this morning. She got after it on the glass and pulled down more than a few rebounds! Her quick-hitting layups were a product of lockdown defense which resulted in a ton of steals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='559132' first='Brielle' last='Alaba'] | [program_tooltip program_id='714654' first='NJ' last='Shoreshots']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Shoreshots went 2-0 on this Sunday, beating Elevate Elite and the Comets of PA. Brielle's jump shots were absolute BUTTER, knocking down long 18-footers and smooth short jumpers. Her fade-away from 12 feet out was a thing of beauty! Lengthy player with advantageous height to shoot the ball clean over defenders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='414402' first='Jessica' last='Devine'] | United NJ</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Against sister team United NJ Select, Jess brought high octane guard play and high intensity to the back court. She was aggressive taking it to the hoop and earned herself multiple trips to the charity stripe. Lurking 3-point threat who lets it fly without hesitation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='525416' first='Makayla' last='Williams'] | United NJ</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In Makayla's case today, it wasn't so much what she did on offense or defense, but more so the grit she exhibited out there. She was rock solid and never stopped fighting out there. The positive energy she gave off was contagious. Extremely coachable and efficient.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='414298' first='Alyssa' last='Stridiron'] | United NJ</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An instant spark! She absorbed a heck of a lot of contact on dribble-drives and tallied points on the board at a rapid pace; multiple and-1's. The name of her game is SPEED and SHIFTINESS. An absolute lightning bolt in transition who is the nucleus of her team's offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='414430' first='Allie' last='Shenloogian'] | United NJ</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not only does she play with a scorer's mentality, but she also prides herself on putting the clamps on defensively. Very smart player who reads the defense well and slices through the lane with the quickness. She heckled sister squad United NJ National and kept active hands all over the ball to force turnovers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='789537' first='Jalyn' last='Moore'] | Team DAPA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A gym rat with a raw skill-set, Jalyn made her presence felt on offense against the Rebels. She was quick getting to the hoop, showing off her ambidextrous finish. She was a playmaker in every sense of the word, creating with and without the ball in her hands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='601332' first='Annie' last='Conover'] | United NJ</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Committed on both ends of the floor, Annie really had her two-way game clicking against Elevate Elite. The steady ball pressure she applied kept the opponent alert and active to shield the ball and keep turnovers at bay. She thrived in the uptempo play and was excellent in transition offense. This girl loves to run and her motor never seems to quit!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='333352' first='Mikayla' last='Taylor'] | K-Low Elite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Undeniable hustle playing against a tough Melo team! She helped her team finish the tournament with a big win and played with sharp focus from the first whistle to the last. She used all of her 5'8" frame to play hard-nosed around the rim and pull down rebounds with authority. At one point, she hit this smooth off-balance short jumper from about 12 feet that had me very invested! Don't sleep on Mikayla!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='919624' first='Nawel' last='Lefebvre'] | NJ Raptors</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Impactful on both sides of the ball today. Very long and lengthy, she intercepted passes around the perimeter and forced a slew of turnovers to help the Raptors win the Platinum Bracket Championship in 15U, pulling off a monumental upset over EYBL powerhouse Team Takeover in the process. Her mobility was remarkably fluid as she floated up and down the court tirelessly. This is a future superstar ladies and gentlemen, so pay attention!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='591477' first='Gandy' last='Malou-Mamel'] | [program_tooltip program_id='714654' first='NJ' last='Shoreshots']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Physically imposing, Gandy commanded the interior to help the Shoreshots A squad pull off huge wins against Team Northeast and the Lady Runnin Rebels this morning. She cleaned up the glass time and time again, pulling down huge o-boards and going back up strong on put-backs. Gandy isn't necessarily a "hidden gem," but she was too good to leave off this list today because of the way she imposed her will and played big-time basketball!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='591478' first='Tessa' last='Lozner'] | United NJ</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tessa's dribble penetration was tough for Elevate Elite and Bay State to contain today. In two big wins, she carved paths to the rim and showed off her ability to lay it in with either hand. She worked around screens and utilized the ball fake to her advantage as she charged toward the hoop fearlessly. She made it look easy out there!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->