State Championship Week Top Performers

The McDonald's All-American added the one accolade that eluded her her entire career – state champion. The Stanford-signee poured in 30 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block to beat Hebron Christian 57-39. Swain loved attacking left before getting back to her right-handed floater. Her ability to draw fouls out of the pick and roll put Hebron behind the eight ball.     Claire racked up 23 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block, guiding Cherokee Bluff to their first state title, beating Baldwin 66-58. Carlson's versatility was on full display as she knocked down threes, used her length to force turnovers and created for others as a distributor.     The soccer phenom had a huge game with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals. Her speed and nose for the ball stood out as she was able to convert turnovers into transition points. Kersh's lightning quick first step got her to the rim at will where she finished through contact. Bristol netted some of her trademark line drive floaters and jumpers off the bounce.     [player_tooltip player_id='386999' first='Janaye' last='Walker'] finished her career with one more monster double-double, hanging 21 points, 21 rebounds and 2 blocks in a loss to Cherokee Bluff. Walker's interior dominance kept the Bravettes in the game as she pounded away at the offensive glass and converted at a high clip around the rim.     Boynton's meteoric rise came full circle, shining off the bench last year before leading her Hawks to their first-ever state title this season, beating Murray County 47-34 behind her 22 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks. Rhianna has an elite motor with terrific athleticism. She's an overwhelming handful to keep off the backboards.     The Hampton-signee finished with 6 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 8 blocks. Shelton didn't just lock down the paint, she expanded her range out to the perimeter where she blocked numerous Murray County jump shots.     It might not have been her absolute best performance but Cece was still the best player on the floor against Maynard Jackson, collecting 22 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals as Creekside polished off a perfect season, winning 57-37. Dennis draws so much attention with the ball in her hands. She sees the floor exceptionally well, creating for others.     Washington-Wilkes had no answer inside for [player_tooltip player_id='926490' first='Tyliah' last='Benjamin'] who piled in 13 points, 21 rebounds and 5 blocks before fouling out in a 72-48 win. Tyliah was the driving force in the Patriots outscoring the Tigers 44-18 in the paint and outrebounding them 53-30.     In desperate need of a spark, [player_tooltip player_id='674569' first='Kyla' last='Cantey'] saved the day with nine of her 12 points in the fourth quarter to ignite a 19-2 frame that propelled River Ridge past Langston Hughes 52-47, erasing a 12-point deficit. Cantey moved without the ball to score on baseline out of bounds plays and converted through contact while doing so.     Maggie was on fire, posting 22 points and 7 rebounds on 10-15 shooting including 2-4 from deep to beat Banks County 51-42. Ledford was unphased by the Banks County press and hit shots throughout to keep Fannin County in front.     A star was born in March. Following up a 28-point performance to topple undefeated North Forsyth in the Final Four, [player_tooltip player_id='674571' first='London' last='Smith'] struck again, exploding for 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block to lead Newton past Grayson 59-56 for their first state title. London avenged three prior losses to Grayson with her standout play. Smith is shifty and quick getting to the rim. Her nose for the ball is exquisite, always a threat to track down her own miss for putbacks. Expect D-I schools to follow the lead of Dayton and offer.