Top 10 Returning Steals Leaders in Group 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offense may come and go but defense is forever! And you know what they say… defense wins championships! These hoopers were locked in from start to finish last season and look to continue to pick pockets and show off their defensive prowess.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='601403' first='Angelica' last='Do'] | Leonia</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>209 steals in 27 games; 7.7 spg</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the scrappiest defenders in the state regardless of classification, Angelica went on a tear as a sophomore, even upping her incredible freshman total of 195 steals. She notched five games in double-digit steals, four part of a double-double and the other part of a triple-double! She tied a career-best 13 steals in a mid-January win against Butler, pressuring the ball-handler and suffocatingly defending 94-feet.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='601347' first='Precious' last='Mitchell'] | Manchester Regional</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>181 steals in 25 games; 7.2 spg</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Precious held the Group 2 (and possibly state) record last season for steals in a game... twice! She recorded 15 steals in wins against Hawthorne and St. Mary (Ruth.), both part of double-double performances. She also recorded six other games in double-digit steals, five accompanied a double-double performance and the other part of a spectacular triple-double against Wallington. With every cookie swiped, Precious inches closer and closer to reaching the elusive half-century mark for her career.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='835219' first='Dani' last='Daproza'] | Leonia</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>157 steals in 27 games; 5.8 spg</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Along with [player_tooltip player_id='601403' first='Angelica' last='Do'], these two make up a very tenacious and strong defensive backcourt for Leonia. In her rookie season, Dani was an absolute terror, posting four games in double-figure steals, one of which was a part of a monster triple-double against Emerson Boro (34 points, 10 rebounds, 11 steals). Super quick and super scrappy, she picked pockets better than any thief! Year 2 is set to be a big one!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='879648' first='Chrissy' last='Akiki'] | Becton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>146 steals in 26 games; 5.6 spg</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tied with [player_tooltip player_id='601347' first='Precious' last='Mitchell'], Chrissy held last season's record for steals in a game with 15 (part of a double-double against St. Mary (Ruth.). She recorded one other game in double-digit steals, also part of a double-double (17 points &amp; 10 steals against Bogota). In two postseason games, Chirssy averaged 6.0 steals and kept her foot on the gas until the very end. She is going to be a force in Year 4!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='880036' first='Analise' last='Feliz'] | Becton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>138 steals in 26 games; 5.3 spg</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Becton's backcourt wreaked havoc on the defensive side of the ball and Analise had a lot to do with that! She racked up 138 steals as a junior in impressive fashion, with four games in double-figure steals, setting a career-high 12 steals against Eastern Christian in late December. One of those double-figure performances accompanied a big-time triple-double against Bogota (13 points, 15 rebounds, 10 steals). One steal away from 200 from her career, she is set to cross the mark in the first game of the season and look to swipe many, many more as winter rolls on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='583451' first='Skyy' last='Beeks'] | Lindenwold</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>95 steals in 20 games; 4.8 spg</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lindenwold may have had a short season but Skyy made the most of it by having her best season to date statistically. The 5'11" forward recorded two monster triple-doubles: 17 points, 21 rebounds, 10 steals in a win against Deptford &amp; 25 points, 16 rebounds, 10 steals in a win over Florence. These 10 steals were also career-highs! She may eclipse three milestones this season: 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds &amp; 300 steals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Francesca Buda | Becton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One third of Becton's three-headed defensive monster, Francesca tallied triple-digit steals for the first time in her high school career last season as a junior. She notched two games with double-digit steals, with 12 steals against Lyndhurst marking a career-high. The multi-sport standout plays with fire and intensity, approaching every game with an assertive mindset.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='835226' first='Amelia' last='Guardascione'] | Lakeland</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>97 steals in 23 games; 4.2 spg</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Amelia left her mark in her freshman season, locking down on defense and fully committing to the assignment. She set a season-high 11 steals in a win against Bergen Tech (10 rebounds, 11 steals). Whether the contests ended in wins or losses, Amelia was never deterred. She stayed confident in her abilities and looked to make a big impact in every game. Year 2 is going to be a big one!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='414419' first='Jada' last='Rodgers'] | Science Park</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>103 steals in 26 games; 4.0 spg</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jada set a career-high 13 steals in a February game against Arts and followed that up two games later with 10 steals in a big win against West Side. She excelled defensively against some of the best teams Science Park played; 3 steals against University, 3 steals against West Essex, 4 steals against Newark Lab, 3 steals against Newark Central. She was never once intimidated and thrived under pressure. Her senior season may see her eclipse 300 steals for her career come February.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='525406' first='Lizzie' last='Calandruccio'] | Spotswood</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>104 steals in 27 games; 3.9 spg</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lizzie's two-way game was rock solid all season long! Defensively, she applied a ton of pressure and made life miserable for opponents. There was a stretch of seven games in January where she went on a tear, averaging 5.6 steals per game. She is set to cross 300 steals for her career at some point mid-season and may even flirt with 400 before her senior campaign comes to a close.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->