Game Report: Manila vs Harrisburg (1/20)

I hope everyone had a great Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Though today was a national holiday, games were still played throughout the state. Though there was not an abundance of games, one in particular caught my eye. The Manila Lady Lions hosted the Harrisburg Lady Hornets this evening, in a highly anticipated 3A-3 matchup.   Preview   Manila entered the game with a 15-5 overall record, and they were perfect in conference play, winning their first 7 3A-3 games. For Harrisburg, they did not have as glamorous of a conference record, but they were still above .500, with a 4-3 record. They also entered the matchup 12-6 overall.   These two teams have already met up once this year, back in December, with Manila taking care of business, 67-49. Despite the Lady Hornets having only 7 players on the roster, they sought revenge against the Lady Lions, but they did not anticipate how the game would go.   Recap   I will go ahead and be honest, this game was all Manila through every quarter, scoring an average of 16.5 points per quarter. They started on an incredible run in the first period, with seemingly everyone hitting shots. On the other side, Harrisburg could not stop turning the ball over. The Lions had fastbreak points on a silver platter, and they surged to a big lead, 24-5, at the end of the period.   In the second quarter, Harrisburg stopped turning the ball over so much, finally breaking past the Manila press and scoring 10 in the period. However, Manila did not stop making shots, as multiple bench players outplayed some of the team's starters, giving the team an added spark. As the outside shots were falling, it was clear that the Hornets could not do much else in the half, so Manila entered the locker room with a 39-15 lead.   Harrisburg slowly but surely cleaned up their act in the second half. Despite starting the third quarter with multiple turnovers, they played more disciplined basketball. Shooting woes, however, still plagued the Hornets. They were missing looks inside, mostly due to the tough Lion defensive pressure. Harrisburg did put a string of positive plays together at the end of the quarter, but they still trailed by a lot.   Manila entered the final period with a 55-27 lead, but they finally started to slow down a bit on offense. They went deep into their bench during the fourth quarter, which gave the Hornets a chance to make the score look better. Harrisburg scored 13 in the fourth, which was not enough to prevent Manila from successfully defending homecourt, ending the night with a 66-40 victory. The Lady Lions move to 2-0 on the year against the Harrisburg Lady Hornets.   Key Performances from Manila Players    There was a plethora of solid performances from the Lions' lineup, but [player_tooltip player_id='1093314' first='Lucy' last='Farmer'] stood out amongst the rest. As the saying goes: speed kills. That applied to Farmer's playstyle, and she left the defense in the dust on more than one occasion.   Farmer had 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 steals on the night. She connected on 1 3-pointer, but most of her points came from attacking the basket on the fastbreak or in transition. She used her lightning-fast first step to blow by her defender, then finished through contact if help came in time. She also used her handle to break down the defense, gaining separation on her drives.   With a combination of 5 steals and elite speed, Farmer was bound to turn those turnovers into points. She was aggressive when playing on the ball, often stripping the ball-handler, and then taking it all the way for an easy basket.   [player_tooltip player_id='1093314' first='Lucy' last='Farmer'] helped her ranking after this performance. She was highly efficient from the field, and her great two-way play was on full display. I would keep an eye out for this great sophomore.     [player_tooltip player_id='1093319' first='Bailey' last='Wilson'] is another sophomore who had an impact on tonight's game. She did not start, but her offense off the bench helped further bury Harrisburg.   Wilson finished with 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. She made nice passes and set her teammates up for open shots, but that was not even close to the most impressive part of her offensive game.   All 15 points were scored from 3-point range, as she made her first 3 looks after checking into the game for the first time. She made 2 more triples in the second half, and no Hornet could apply a viable contest against her quick release. She was by far the best shooter on the court, and when she got to shoot off the catch, it was a problem for the Lady Hornets.   [player_tooltip player_id='1093319' first='Bailey' last='Wilson'] has a bright future on this Lady Lion team. If she can continue to shoot at this high of a rate, she will break into the starting lineup, and into the 2027 ranking.     [player_tooltip player_id='1180851' first='Jenna' last='LaRose'] does not play much point guard for the Lady Lions, but she was the most successful passer for either team tonight.   LaRose had 7 assists on the evening, with at least 4 coming in the first half. Manila played with excellent spacing throughout the game, and LaRose had plenty of teammates to find whenever she looked to drive. She also facilitated well on the fastbreak, putting each pass right on the money.   She followed her assist number up with 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. She did not score until the second half, with all of her points coming in the paint. The defense was viewing her as a pass-first player toward the game's waning minutes, so LaRose was able to take advantage and find some scoring opportunities. She even scored second-chance points off of her 2 offensive rebounds.   [player_tooltip player_id='1180851' first='Jenna' last='LaRose'] may not be Manila's usual point guard, but she looked like one of the better floor generals in the 3A-3.    <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/hadlie-goodson/">[player_tooltip player_id='496309' first='Hadlie' last='Goodson']</a>- Goodson is usually Manila's primary weapon on offense. Since her teammates were all hitting their shots, the junior was able to take a step back and let them take over. Despite her quiet offensive night, she still played outstanding defense. She recorded 2 steals, deflected several passes, and provided hounding on-ball pressure. She did all of the little things that may not show up on the box score, but without her performance, Manila does not pull ahead as early.   Madison Tune- Once again, Manila has a sophomore guard playing some excellent basketball. Madison Tune is Manila's backup point guard, but she played like she could be the starting floor general anywhere else in the 3A classification. She did not score, but she did not need to, as she fed her teammates, finishing with 5 assists. She also had 6 rebounds and 2 steals. It was clear that Tune was looking to get her teammates involved, and they feasted when she gave them the ball. [player_tooltip player_id='1093319' first='Bailey' last='Wilson'] was one of them, as most of Tune's assists were to her.   Addison Stabbs- I was rather impressed with another sophomore guard from the Lady Lions. She was another player who came off the bench and made an instant impact. Stabbs had 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals. Though that statline might not jump out at you, she was outstanding whenever the ball was in her hands. On one particular possession, Stabbs drove inside, and once she felt the defense overplay on one side, she spun to their weak side and scored the layup. It was a great move by a player who deserves more minutes.   Key Performances from Harrisburg Players    [player_tooltip player_id='1057812' first='Cassie' last='Carlson'] had the best all-around game from any of the Lady Hornets. She was relatively quiet for much of the first half, but she really came alive in the third quarter.   Carlson finished the game with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. She was everywhere on both sides of the ball, scoring inside and out on offense and protecting the rim on defense.   Of her 10 points, 6 came from behind the arch. The defense did not respect her outside shooting on her first 3-point attempt, and even after she hesitated to shoot, she still knocked down the wide-open 3, ripping through the net. The opposition showed her more respect on her second attempt, but she still made it, as she was working off a screen and took a step back, shooting off the dribble.   She used her 5'10" frame and long arms to her advantage on defense. She was able to poke balls free and disrupt passing lanes, but she was even better in the middle, blocking shots whenever they came her way.   [player_tooltip player_id='1057812' first='Cassie' last='Carlson'] stepped up when her team needed her, but sadly for Harrisburg, it was still not enough. Despite that, they should feel confident that this junior can play hard even when the score is not in their favor.     [player_tooltip player_id='1056360' first='Elisabeth' last='Green'] has consistently been one of the best scorers in the 3A classification. Whenever I see Harrisburg box scores, Green usually has 20 or more points, but the Manila coaches must have also seen those statlines.   Green is the most talented Lady Hornet on offense, and that is how the Lady Lions defended her. She was not able to get any sort of separation on the perimeter, and if she posted up, Manila would double her immediately. Despite that, she still managed to score in double-digits with 10. She was also the only player to have a double-double during the game, pulling down 10 rebounds.   Green was active on the glass early, pulling down 4 boards in the first quarter. Speaking of the number 4, Green grabbed that many offensive rebounds. She was not shy about giving her team extra possessions, even picking up assists thanks to her play on the backboard.   [player_tooltip player_id='1056360' first='Elisabeth' last='Green'] added 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks to her total. She was cold in the scoring category, but that does not mean that she was not able to have a positive impact on the game. Her ability to make plays in other areas is important to display if she wants to play at the next level.    [player_tooltip player_id='1183245' first='Ragan' last='Fahr']- Fahr made plays throughout the night for Harrisburg. She finished with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 drawn charge. She was not afraid to do the dirty work, whether it was on the glass or on the defensive end. On offense, she knocked down 2 triples, trying to provide floor spacing for her team in the second half.   Review   Manila stays undefeated in conference play, moving to 8-0 on the year. Harrisburg is now batting .500, possessing a 4-4 record in the 3A-3.   It is hard to beat a team where every player who logs time on the floor has a solid outing. Though I did not break them all down, all 5 starters for Manila played well, and every player who came off the bench for the Lady Lions made a contribution to the win. Madysen Deeds, Chloe Helms, Kaylynn Harvey, Lexi Wyatt, and Raven Fields all made plays when they were on the floor, and it is rare for every participating player to make a positive impact on the game.   Harrisburg is still a solid team, as they showed signs of life later on in the game. They needed to make adjustments sooner in the first half, but if they can jump out to the type of lead that Manila had tonight in every other game they play this season, they will be just fine. I can honestly see both teams competing in the 3A state tournament one way or another.

I hope everyone had a great Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Though today was a national holiday, games were still played throughout the state. Though there was not an abundance of games, one in particular caught my eye. The Manila Lady Lions hosted the Harrisburg Lady Hornets this evening, in a highly anticipated 3A-3 matchup.