4th Quarter Surge Leads Marlins to Victory

Mercy hosted Northville on Monday, and I had a feeling this would be a matchup where nothing comes easily. Northville defeated Mercy 37-34 in their last meeting, but it turned out to be the Marlins' night. Both teams traded punches all game. Northville led 10-4 after one, but Mercy rallied and took a 16-13 lead into the half. Northville regained the lead 29-23 in the third, but Mercy responded with a 21-9 fourth quarter run to take the win 44-38. Both teams gave it their all, and these are the seven prospects who filled my notebook.    Taylor is going to be a very good player for Northville in the coming years. She swiped the ball away on defense, pushed it with both hands the other way, and turned on the afterburners to score a full-speed breakaway layup with a defender closing in. Taylor zoomed all over the court to grab loose balls, scored a soft finish off the glass with a smooth transfer, and dropped in a floater after securing an offensive rebound. She has the skill, instincts, and effort needed to be a productive point guard.     Elle used her quick hands and feet to apply pressure that led to turnovers. She rotated quickly from the help-side to close driving lanes and stripped the ball away. Elle swished a rainbow triple from the corner in the first half and buried another smooth three in the slot to put Mercy ahead 35-34 with just over two minutes left in the fourth. She swiped an inbounds pass late and converted both free throws with confidence at the line to help ice the game.     Naimah elevated her play in the second half to spearhead a comeback win for Mercy. She pushed the gas pedal to the floor, accelerated through the lane, and used a graceful high pick-up move with a veer finish to score the tough layup through contact. Naimah completed the three-point play at the line. She drilled a corner three and heaved a left-handed full-court pass on the money for an assist. Naimah's pressure in the press caused challenges for the opponent, and she knocked down key free throws to preserve the victory.     Harper makes winning plays on the court for Northville and does all the "little things" that lead to team success. She pursued rebounds with a relentless effort and had many on the offensive end. Harper made a great hammer pass off a baseline drive and kicked the ball out to open teammates on the perimeter. Harper secured the ball with strong hands and caused deflections on defense.     Caroline's comprehensive impact on the court spearheaded a resilient comeback win for the Marlins. She backed down her defender with power dribbles and dropped in a tough, contested floater. Caroline scrapped for rebounds and scored a put-back. She worked hard to keep good positioning and walled up to block a shot. Caroline was an excellent facilitator, converted free throws efficiently at the line, and finished confidently using either hand. She scored with her left off two feet and dished a dump-off pass on a drive for the assist. Caroline drove hard to the basket, put her defender in jail, made a smooth ball transfer to her left, and finished off two feet. She used a quick rip move to beat a defender baseline, earned a trip to the free throw line, and buried both with a high wrist-snapping follow-through. Caroline was responsible for three important triples in the fourth quarter. She drained one from the corner, shoveled a kick-out pass for an assist after collapsing the defense with her dribble penetration, and set a strong down screen to create a wide-open perimeter look for her teammate.     Carly is a scrappy and skilled guard from Northville who empties the tank in every game. She dished out assists, chased down rebounds, attacked downhill, and moved her feet quickly on defense to cut off drives. Carly maintained excellent balance, patience, and control on a drive, then scored the soft finish off the window. She made a smooth transfer for a layup and buried a deep wing three for the Mustangs.     Peyton turned in a gritty performance for Northville on Monday. She distributed the ball effectively from different passing angles, including a tough bounce pass entry through a small window into the post. Peyton drove hard to the basket, finished through contact, and earned trips to the line. She attacked a gap, got the advantage, and kissed the ball off the glass. Peyton generated many steals and deflections on defense; she anticipated cuts to the basket. Peyton battled inside and grabbed several rebounds. She caught a pass with her feet balanced and ready to shoot, then drained a smooth corner three.

Mercy hosted Northville on Monday, and I had a feeling this would be a matchup where nothing comes easily. Northville defeated Mercy 37-34 in their last meeting, but it turned out to be the Marlins' night. Both teams traded punches all game. Northville led 10-4 after one, but Mercy rallied and took a 16-13 lead into the half. Northville regained the lead 29-23 in the third, but Mercy responded with a 21-9 fourth quarter run to take the win 44-38. Both teams gave it their all, and these are the seven prospects who filled my notebook.