3A Opening Round Standouts (Pt 2)

Here is another handful of standouts from the opening games of the 3A state tournament. These players showed some great toughness and physicality on the floor with their efforts in win-or-go-home games.    Wiggins put forth a big effort Tuesday night, matching her season highs in points (8), rebounds (9), and steals (4). The senior forward played strong matching up with Monroe's posts. She has the mobility and strength to be a real asset defensively and shows some good presence with the ball to see the floor out of the short corner and high post.     Swanson has been huge on the glass all year long (9.7 rpg), and that effort on the boards is big for a team that likes to run and limit opposing possessions. Not only is she long and agile, but Swanson plays with a great motor, and that helps her make plays on the defensive end too. She also gets the ball out quickly off possession changes to get her girls running and in attack mode. She ended their win over Decatur with 11 rebounds (5 off, 6 def).     Petramalo played a big role in knocking out Monroe and helping Bellarmine advance past the initial round of the state tournament. She's been on a tear in the second half of the season. After scoring in double figures in just two of their first 12 games, she's been at or above double-digit scoring in 16 of their last 18. During this stretch, she's averaging 15.9 ppg and 6.9 rpg, just about on the mark for her output against Monroe (16 points and eight rebounds).     Shorecrest led for most of their game against Garfield, and it was in large part due to Chestnut's steady play. She's a high usage player for the Scots and fought through lots of contact and bodies to the rim all game long. At her height, it's hard to stop her once she got in the paint, and she showed terrific fight not only getting to the cup, but working the glass for extra shots. She also dropped in some threes to balance out her attack. She's a player who has made huge strides over the last few years, and with her size, athleticism, and improving outside shot, she still has a lot more left to give.     Burke-Brown had an outstanding game in their win over Decatur. She ended the game with a double-double, 16 points and 10 rebounds, to go along with five assists and four steals. She was 6-of-12 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range. All game, she picked her spots well, made good reads, and took what was available.     It was a big defensive team effort in their win over Auburn Mountainview, and while the guards pressured the ball on the perimeter, Keilman was there to shut things down in the paint. She had several blocks on the day, trailing drivers and playing posts straight up. She was also a big rebounder, pulling them down on both ends and fighting to wrestle away 50/50 balls from opposing players.

Here is another handful of standouts from the opening games of the 3A state tournament. These players showed some great toughness and physicality on the floor with their efforts in win-or-go-home games.