Region 6AAAA Semifinals: Thrilling Basketball Showdown Recap

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>USE CODE "tinnon30" FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last night, I was able to take in the Region 6AAAA semifinal games at Hillsboro last night. I was front and center ( with my nachos) as I saw 4 ball clubs who were hungry and willing to put everything on the line. I walked away thoroughly impressed as I saw young ladies who did whatever they could to help their ball club advance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the first game, it was a true heavyweight bout as Mr. Juliet and Hendersonville got after it. In the first half, it was neck and neck going into halftime. Coming out of the break, &nbsp; Hendersonville went on a burner, scoring buckets left and right that saw them extend their lead 40-26 at the end of the third. There was some doubt in the stands as you could hear fans talking about how much of an upset was about to happen. However, MJ came back with a vengeance. They turned the heat up on the defensive end, picking up the full length of the floor. They sped up the Hendersonville offense, which caused them to turn the ball over. MJ hit some key shots down the stretch, which began the comeback. Before you knew it, the Hendersonville lead started to shrink, and boom, the Lady Bears were on top. Some key free throws sealed the deal, but Mt. Juliet advanced, winning 52-50.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Key players</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Aaliyah Holman","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'6u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12123","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Mt. Juliet","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c7407eb9ed5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The word growth stands out in my mind as she played with relentless energy and poise. She hit some key shots down the stretch that helped mount the Lady Bears' comeback. It was the little things that she was doing that stood out. She deflected multiple balls that either slowed down the opposition or caused a turnover. She made key reads by making the extra pass or being strong with the ball and taking it to the hole. She displayed a lot of grit, doing whatever it would take to help her club. I came away impressed with her play and have a better understanding that MJ is going to be a problem for years to come, especially with her on the floor.<br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1039130"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c7407eb9f6e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">It wasn't her scoring that stood out but her ability to create, which led to open shot opportunities and had the defense scrambling to recover. She also posed a threat on the defensive end, where she got steals, deflections, ect. I was impressed with her ability in transition and the reads she was making. She did have a little adversity early, but battled back strong and was a key factor in the Lady Bears comeback. She's shifty, plays with poise, and is a solid foundational piece that will be a threat for this program for years to come. <br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1225150' first='Chloe' last='Rogers']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'5u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12123","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Hendersonville","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c7407eba03b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"> I came away impressed. I know her club didn't win, but she played a heck of a game. She hit some shots down the stretch, played solid defensively, and was poised with the ball in her hands. She made some key reads that led to her team's run in the third quarter. She displayed senior leadership and just got after it on both ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the second matchup of the night, the Hillsboro Lady Burros took on the Green Hill Lady Hawks. GH came out hot in the 1st quarter, taking the lead early. You would have thought the basketball Gods were in their favor as they went on a tear and couldn't miss. Green Hill got what they wanted, when they wanted, and pretty much controlled the pace of the game by getting high percentage shots and knocking 3s along the perimeter. Going into the half, GH had a comfortable lead that had the home crowd stunned. Coming out the break, the Lady Burros settled in. Hillsboro stayed the course and chipped away little by little. They turned up their defense and caused Green Hill to turn the ball over. By then creating havoc, it turned into a track meet as Hillsboro started to use their athleticism to get some easy transition buckets down the stretch. Before you know it, momentum shifted, and the Lady Burros went on top. The final score was the Lady Burros 46, Green Hill 43.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Key Players:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1241392' first='Sydnee' last='Graham']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'6u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12125","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Hillsboro","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c7407eba0fd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">This kid was a gamer as she was all over the court last night. A solid two-way player who hit some tough contested shots around the rim and posed as a threat on the defensive end. She applied the pressure, causing her opponent to turn the ball over multiple times. She contributed in every facet of the game. Sydnee is a solid ball player who can score it on all three levels and utilize her speed on the defensive end to cause havoc.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1155248"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c7407eba160"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Though her team came out on the short end, I was thoroughly impressed with her style of play. She was very physical early on, and often, she finished around the painted area, muscling through the opposition. She would attack from the arc, building up speed to get to the rim, or establish a wide base, posting up, and going to work down low. She contributed on the boards defensively but got tons of offensive boards, keeping plays alive and giving her ball club extra chances. This kid is super tough, plays with an exceptional motor, and will be hard to contend with for years to come.<br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->