Saints James vs Gadsden City RECAP

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saint James opened the night with pace and confidence, taking an early lead behind the play of [player_tooltip player_id='981283' first='Natalie' last='Barton'] and Kaylin Corley while their 1–3–1 zone disrupted Gadsden City's rhythm. Barton controlled the first half with scoring, rebounding, and playmaking, helping Saint James carry momentum into the break. But the game completely shifted after halftime when sophomore standout <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1165218' first='Kaitlin' last='Mitchell']</strong> came out with a different level of aggression. Despite picking up two questionable charges, her defensive activity at the top of the zone and her attacking mindset sparked a 29–17 second-half surge that pushed Saint James to a strong win over a competitive Gadsden City squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1165218"],"_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-69262e3265db9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">⭐ <strong>Player of the Game — [player_tooltip player_id='1165218' first='Kaitlin' last='Mitchell'] (Saint James)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16 points • 4 steals • 7-of-13 FG (53%)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Mitchell showcased the full package tonight. A true <strong>two-way, three-level scorer</strong>, she attacked the basket going both directions, posted up smaller defenders, knocked down jumpers, and created chaos defensively. When she plays with this level of assertiveness, Saint James becomes a completely different team to guard. This version of Mitchell is the one capable of elevating Saint James into a dangerous contender — and it's time for her to bring this impact nightly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["981283"],"_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-69262e3265e12"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='981283' first='Natalie' last='Barton']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>14 points • 6 rebounds • 4 assists • 4 steals</strong><br>Barton impacted the game in every area. Even on a tough shooting night (5-for-14), she found ways to contribute through playmaking, rebounding, and defensive anticipation. Her versatility kept Saint James steady early and helped build the foundation for the second-half run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1207423"],"_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-69262e3265e59"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1207423' first='Morgan' last='Lilly'] </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>10 points • 3 assists • 3 rebounds • 2 steals</strong><br>Lily played a mature, composed game. A combo guard who can score or facilitate, she made timely reads, defended with energy, and added consistent offensive production. Her presence helped keep the offense organized.</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":"Kaden Fair ","_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":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12124","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Saint James ","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"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-69262e3265eee"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>Kaden Fair</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>7 points • 5 rebounds (off the bench)</strong><br>Fair delivered valuable minutes off the bench, bringing energy on the boards and finishing plays around the rim. Her physicality and effort helped sustain Saint James' momentum during key stretches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1249494"],"_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-69262e3265f37"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>Madison Tinker</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>7 assists • 4 points • 3 rebounds</strong><br>Tinker ran the show for Gadsden City with poise and vision. She consistently created open looks for teammates and would have easily reached double-digit assists with converted layups. A true pass-first point guard who reads the floor early and delivers accurately.</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":"Jac'Keria Woods","_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":"null","_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":"Gadsden City ","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"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-69262e3265fb1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>Jac'Keria Woods</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>8 points • 3 assists • 3 rebounds</strong><br>Woods showed her scoring ability, especially from three, and competed on both ends. She provided timely buckets and active defense, giving Gadsden City a needed spark.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saint James' combination of defensive pressure, balanced scoring, and the emergence of [player_tooltip player_id='1165218' first='Kaitlin' last='Mitchell'] in the second half was the difference in this matchup. Barton, Lily, and Fair provided strong support, while Gadsden City saw promising play from Tinker and Woods. With length, energy, and multiple playmaking options, Saint James continues trending upward as the season begins to take shape.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->