S.T.R.O.N.G. Showcase Day 1 Game 3: NLR vs Forest Hill (11/28)

Here is my continued coverage of the S.T.R.O.N.G. Showcase that took place at Jacksonville Lighthouse over the weekend.   Preview   North Little Rock faced off with Forest Hill on its first day of the tournament. Both teams offer athleticism, rebounding, and shooting, and both teams look like they will have strong showings in 2025/26.   Recap   The game was tight after the opening tip. Forest Hill, which was making the long trip from Jackson, Mississippi, looked like they were not going to go home without a win. Their defense was fantastic, they were crashing the boards, and they were taking advantage of North Little Rock's missed shots. They trailed the NLR Lady Charging Wildcats 9-10 at the end of one.   NLR started to get their feet under them in the second quarter. They began to hit shots and play better defense. They went into the half up 27-14, only giving up 5 points the entire period.   The second half was all Charging Wildcats. Their scoring, defense, and rebounding told the tale of those final two quarters, and Forest Hill never came close on the scoreboard. NLR came away with the 56-30 victory.   Key North Little Rock Lady Charging Wildcat Performances    North Little Rock was having some much success with every one of its bigs down low, and [player_tooltip player_id='1260339' first='Zoey' last='McCall'] was easily feasting in the paint.   McCall came off the bench but led NLR with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 block. At one point in the first half, she had 4 consecutive rebounds and 6 points. No one on Forest Hill could successfully box her out, or they at least didn't have the guts to do so.   To my recollection, all of McCall's scoring came in the paint. She utilized a soft touch around the basket, and would muscle defenders out of the way. She also just seemed to be in the right place at the right time occasionally, and she would not be denied on the glass.   NLR has a bright future with freshmen like [player_tooltip player_id='1260339' first='Zoey' last='McCall'] having tremendous success against out-of-state competition. I see conference and state accolades in her future.     One of North Little Rock's most consistent players is [player_tooltip player_id='1060878' first='Elicia' last='Shepherd'], and she had another performance where she did everything she was asked to do.   The senior finished the night with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Shepherd was cutting and driving to the basket with precision and aggression. She would not be denied in the paint, whether that was scoring or on the backboard.   Shepherd had an impressive afternoon passing the ball. She found open teammates on the perimeter and in the lane, being a crucial reason why they propelled to a big lead in the second half. She was also diving after every loose ball, out hustling everyone else on the court.   [player_tooltip player_id='1060878' first='Elicia' last='Shepherd'] is going to have another great season, and we should all be prepared for that.     It is hard to believe that North Little Rock has two 6-foot freshmen who come off the bench. Like McCall, [player_tooltip player_id='1260334' first='Marley' last='Adebayo'] was impressive in this matchup.   Adebayo put up 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block in the win. Though she is 6'2", she is a legitimate perimeter shooting threat, as she hit 2 triples, both off the catch. There are not many stretch-5 freshmen in the state, and she is certainly looking like the best in that unique category.   [player_tooltip player_id='1260334' first='Marley' last='Adebayo'] will have plenty of games where she gets her looks from beyond the arc, and she will drain them more times than not. However, her length will be her biggest advantage in every game she plays in this year.    <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/mia-hopkins/">[player_tooltip player_id='1180760' first='Mia' last='Hopkins']</a>- 3 6-footers in the rotation? That's crazy! Hopkins got the start tonight and though she is known as a shot blocker, her best work on the defensive end was when she was forcing turnovers. Hopkins stole the ball 3 times to go along with her 6 points and 5 boards. She had 7 blocks last year against LR Central, so she knows how to anchor the paint, but she is showing growth in all of the other aspects of the game as well.   Key Forest Hill Lady Patriot Performances    As great as NLR's freshmen played, I don't know if anyone looked as talented as Forest Hill's Tasia Burse.   Burse scored 16 points and swatted 5 shots. She did not do much in the way of scoring at first, but her defense was incredible. She looked like prime LeBron on those chase-down blocks and she can leap out of the gym.   Burse should have gotten the ball a lot more, because there was nothing she could not do offensively. She has a killer crossover, and she was getting into the lane every single time she used that move. If the paint was cut off, not a problem. Burse would instead just launch her shot from well beyond the 3-point line and it would scorch the nets on the way in.   Tasia Burse certainly has swagger, and she is definitely not 5'4", as her blocks will indicate. If Forest Hill gives her the ball more, they will be highly successful this year.    Leea Jenkins- Leea Jenkins was very active on the offensive end. She put up 7 points, snagged 2 boards, and recorded 1 steal. She hit 2 3-pointers, and one of them was a 4-point play, which she converted.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/aaliyah-johnson-3/">Aaliyah Johnson</a>- Forest Hill's anchor down low had a tough matchup against so many 6-footers, but she still found some success. Scoring was not working out too well, as she put up just 2 points, but she worked hard for her 7 rebounds and got 1 steal. She was also active in the post on defense, contorting shots to the best of her ability.

Here is my continued coverage of the S.T.R.O.N.G. Showcase that took place at Jacksonville Lighthouse over the weekend.