She Got Next Thanksgiving Classic: Top Performers from Day One

We know how much chaos that Black Friday can be – but there are also less chaotic ways of spending the day following Thanksgiving. One of those ways that involve zero chaos is at the basketball court with family and friends.    The initial day of this year's She Got Next Thanksgiving Classic emanated from a pair of 5A schools in the Midlands – Lexington HS which is in Division 1 and Irmo HS which is in Division 2.    It is one of the more anticipated events in the Palmetto State as part of the early season schedule and we at Prep Girls Hoops made our annual trek to be part of the festivities. Here are a few top performers from the first day of action at this year's She Got Next.    Britt lit up the scoreboard as the nightcap of She Got Next Friday took place. Her 4A Gray Collegiate team did battle against 5A Division 1 River Bluff. She scored 30 points in what was a successful night at the office for the War Eagles. The Gators' defense had little to no answers for the star three forward of Gray Collegiate. Out of the 30 points she scored, 19 occurred in the first half of play. If Britt had the ball in close proximity to the rim, she was likely to score two points. Britt also showcased her midrange and long-range shooting capabilities as well. Given her 5-foot-11 stature, it made things difficult for River Bluff to score buckets in the interior.     Oliver's defending 5A Division 2 Upper State champion Greenwood drew a tough out on She Got Next Friday – defending 1A champion Military Magnet. It may not have been the result the Eagles were looking for against Military Magnet's Eagles – a 53-42 Military Magnet victory - but she led all scorers for that contest with 26 points. Greenwood connected on eight 3-pointers in Friday's get-together with Military Magnet – six were courtesy of Oliver. The senior two guard also displays speed and quickness with the ball, displays plenty of court vision and can wreak plenty of havoc on the defensive end of the floor as well.     Following its 3A Upper State berth from last season, St. Joseph's Catholic drew a tough draw on the first day of She Got Next matching up against one of SCISA's premier 4A teams in Northwood Academy. Helmer held her own against the Chargers with a 25-point performance to lead her Knights. Out of the 25 she placed on the scoreboard, 19 occurred in the first half. As potent a scorer as she is, one can see that she attracts so much attention from opposing defenses when she has the ball in her hands. Helmer can put crooked numbers on a scoreboard from all three levels and combines overall talent with overall veteran instincts. Helmer is a two-sport athlete who will put all of her emphasis on volleyball at Furman following this season.     A photo of Anderson may appear alongside the phrase “matchup problem” as that is what Anderson was for 5A Division 1 Carolina Forest. The Wildcats prevailed in a rout against the shorthanded Panthers and Anderson took full advantage of a matchup problem in the paint as she scored 24 points. Premier players such as Anderson are supposed to exploit matchup deficiencies in an opponent but there are not too many bigs across the state that can match the talent and efficiency that Anderson brings. There is a reason as to why she is poised to succeed at the collegiate level with Francis Marion.     Brown has become accustomed to wearing green uniforms for much of her career. Sporting a new shade of green, she showcased that her game may be meaner than ever as she placed 23 points on the board against defending 5A Division 2 state champion Berkeley. As the matchup with the Stags went on, Brown got in a groove and put a crooked number on the scoreboard. She is a ferocious rim attacker that can put points on the scoreboard from all three levels. Brown does not shy away from contact as she knows it can place her at the free throw line. She is also a skilled runner of the floor understands when to attack and when to pass. Unfortunately for Brown, she had to exit the contest late in the third quarter due to an injury.     Floyd's 5A Division 1 Carolina Forest team was shorthanded in a contest against another premier assembling from the same classification in host Lexington. She still turned in a valiant effort with 22 points, keying the Panthers' efforts in the interior. The ability to make plays in the transition game is one of the strong points of Floyd's game and she also knows how to turn offensive rebounds into two-point putbacks. Floyd plays with a heads-up attitude, and this enables her quickly take advantage of an opposing team's miscues. She is also a consistent threat to collect steals. Floyd put together an excellent season as a freshman for Carolina Forest and is in search of even bigger things in 2025-26.     Boatwright's 5A Division 1 Ashley Ridge faced plenty of adversity against 4A Darlington as the Falcons built a 13-point, 30-17 lead at halftime. She was part of a furious Swamp Foxes rally that saw Ashley Ridge pull off the 55-53 win over Darlington. Boatwright finished the contest with 20 points. Out of the 20 she tallied, 14 were placed on the scoreboard in the second half. As a frontcourt force, Boatwright provided an interior presence that was key in the Ashley Ridge comeback. She can provide worthwhile minutes for a team playing as a traditional big or at the four.     SCISA 4A defending champion Trinity Collegiate entered its season opener with 5A Division 1 public Spring Valley a bit shorthanded. Kind still put together a winning performance on what was otherwise a tough game for the Titans. She expressed a great deal of confidence in her 3-point shot throughout the contest – Kind had reason to. Trinity Collegiate drained five 3-pointers for the game. Four of them departed from Kind's hands. Kind displays enough confidence in her long-range shooting abilities to attempt triples from college and even pro range. Proficient deep threats such as Kind can throw off defenses as well with her rim-attacking abilities.     Briggs is a name one must game plan for when the opponent is 5A Division 1 Spring Valley. She tallied 19 points in her Vikings' season-opening victory over Trinity Collegiate – defending SCISA 4A state champions. Briggs continues to defy the conventional wisdom of what one would expect from someone with her build. She can impose her will in the paint but is versatile where she can play the role of a point guard or shooting guard. Coach Megan Davis can say her first game as Vikings coach earned her team a spot in the win column thanks to Davis' scoring, rebounding, defense and on-court leadership.     The Megan Davis era at 5A Division 1 Spring Valley got underway with a victory as the Vikings got the better of a shorthanded defending SCISA 4A champion Trinity Collegiate. Simmons' scored 19 points to lift Spring Valley to a win in its season opener over the Titans. The freshman plays the role of a point guard more than a two as she displays superb rim attacking abilities. Many freshmen may not always have the best feel for the game but Simmons defies that conventional wisdom. Coach Davis obviously has enough confidence in Simmons to place her in the Spring Valley starting five and she displayed she belongs there through her play.     Berkeley's defense of its 5A Division 2 state crown began in inauspicious fashion with a loss to SCISA 4A runner-up First Baptist the Tuesday prior to She Got Next. Carter helped to right the ship for the Stags as she scored 18 points in a 70-54 victory for Berkeley over 4A Beaufort. Carter approaches the game with a heads-up attitude, enabling her to react quickly on any play. She will run back to the offensive side of the floor as soon as a teammate corrals a defensive rebound. Carter can display accuracy from behind the arc and displays on-court leadership skills which not every sophomore showcases. Two word that come to mind when watching Carter are floor and general.     One of the more competitive matchups of Saturday's She Got Next slate took place between 5A Division 1 J.L. Mann and 6A A.C. Reynolds from North Carolina. The Rockets' defense had no answers for Richardson as she scored 17 points as Richardson began her swan song season in Patriots Carolina blue and red. Richardson does not shy away from contact that can place her at the free throw line. While she can connect from the midrange, Richardson will also set up shop in the paint with her back to the basket and convert on a high percentage try near the basket.     Nathaniel Taylor, coach of defending 1A champion Military Magnet, is known for scheduling tough non-region opponents to ensure his team is as sharp as an Eagle's claw come January, February and March. That occurred again as his Eagles matched up against another flock of Eagles – those of last year's 5A Division 2 Upper State champion Greenwood. The 16 points that Williams placed on the scoreboard led the way in Military Magnet's 53-42 win over Greenwood. Williams displays her toughness by not shying away from contact that can place her at the free throw line. She may have the height of a big but she can get downhill quickly with the rock in her hands. Williams may draw plenty of attention from opposing defenses but she answers it with fearlessness and hard-nosed play.     A day ending in y is a date for Bates to be great. Northwood Academy has already established itself as one of the teams to beat in SCISA 4A this season. That continued as Bates led her Chargers to an impressive victory over a St. Joseph's Catholic team that qualified for the 3A Upper State championship game last season. Bates concluded her day at Lexington HS with a 15-point outing. She is a veteran floor general who finishes strong at the rim and can get a bit crafty from time to time with how she gets two points at the cup. Bates is a skilled floor-runner and passer who is a tough out for any defense.     Joseph was one of the featured players in what was a competitive contest between 4A Darlington and 5A Division 1 Ashley Ridge. The Falcons may have been on the wrong end of the 55-52 decision, but the 14 points she scored kept her Darlington team in a strong position to win from start to finish. The interior, of course, is Joseph's bread and butter. She is difficult to contain in close proximity to the basket and can get crafty with her finishes from time to time. Joseph also is a force to be reckoned with on defense with how she can clog up an opposing team's passing lanes. She will display confidence in her ability to make long-range shots.     The lone North Carolina team that was on hand at this year's She Got Next Thanksgiving Classic had a rough go of things against 5A Division 1 J.L. Mann. Harvey's performance was still a winning one as she finished that matchup with the Patriots with 11 points. Harvey's Rockets were reclassified into 6A beginning this season. When Harvey has the ball behind the 3-point line, she is very likely to attempt and connect on those tries from deep. Harvey is a junior who is listed at 5-foot-8 on A.C. Reynolds' roster. Harvey is on a Rockets team with a bevy of juniors – eight in total.     She Got Next Friday concluded with an all-Midlands matchup pitting the new-look 5A Division 1 River Bluff against 4A Gray Collegiate. The War Eagles may have got the better of the Gators but a gutsy 13-point performance courtesy of Tifre gave River Bluff a fighting chance. Tifre, in her second stint at River Bluff, thrives in the Gators frontcourt converting on high percentage opportunities but can also make things happen in the midrange game as well. Rebounding is another of her strong areas as she will win plenty of battles on the boards. Tifre is one of three seniors on this year's River Bluff roster.     The Gators of 5A Division 1 River Bluff present one of the more talented backcourts in the Palmetto State. Childers is part of that effort for the Gators. She also finished Friday evening's contest with 4A Gray Collegiate having tallied 13 points. Childers is a skilled and young guard who is poised to only get better as her high school career continues to blossom. She has such impressive ball handling skills and chemistry with her teammates that one may mistake Childers for a veteran one or two. In the contest with the War Eagles, River Bluff connected on four 3-pointers. Three of those triples were courtesy of Childers.

We know how much chaos that Black Friday can be – but there are also less chaotic ways of spending the day following Thanksgiving. One of those ways that involve zero chaos is at the basketball court with family and friends.