MTAH: Saturday's Head-Turning Performances

Franklin High was the host site for this year's More Than A Highlight Showcase, pitting some of the region's top teams against each other. These six dazzled and stood out as the most electric players I got eyes on:    She was a big reason why Wood was up on LuHi 25-24 at the half! Her anticipation paid off big time; cuts to the basket through high intensity pressure D. She found [ample] space to create on drives with tough angles off the glass. She put her long wingspan to use, being disruptive on defense. Fearless sophomore unafraid of the juggernaut opponent.     Emily put on a shooting clinic in the second half vs Archbishop Wood out of PA. She turned around a sluggish start and came out of the locker room guns blazing, knocking down consecutive triples and then a few more as the 3rd & 4th quarter progressed. Her shot selection was stellar, as was her rebounding, vision and defense. I was most impressed with her hustle and undeniable will to win. She played a large role in LuHi's come-from-behind victory, turning a 1-point halftime deficit into a 34-point win.     Ranney may have lost the battle to a very good Brandeis squad out of New York, but Kayla's two-way guard play shined bright! Her willingness to attack the basket on baseline rips and let it fly confidently from the perimeter paid off. She converted fast breaks and knocked in a pair of triples en-route to 14 points. Defensively, an assertive press disrupted the offensive flow, at times, and combined with anchoring the perimeter, made for 8 steals.     Savannah's ability to play bigger than her size was impressive. She put in work on the glass, battling for rebounds with much taller players. There was no fear in her game, driving into the heart of the defense and absorbing contact. She mixed up the offense with drives and jumpers, tallying a team-high 20 points to go with 7 rebounds and a pair of blocks. Sav embraced the physicality Brandeis brought.     Shifty, explosive, high IQ basketball on full display! The Vandy commit slashed through the lane and finished with a crafty layup package, tallying points quick fast for LuHi. Her defense to offense conversion was stellar and once she turned the jets on, she was tough to catch. Long, lanky arms picked off passes and forced turnovers at a high rate. Her ability to find teammates on the cut was truly impressive, dishing out some dimes that drew audible gasps from myself and the crowd.     Aleah turned it up in quarters 2-4, imposing her no-nonsense game and wreaking havoc on both sides of the ball. St. Rose had no answer for the versatile G/W as she played bully-ball inside and out en-route to 17 points, including three triples [and one very long two]. Stout defense made a huge impact in turning around a 12-11 first quarter deficit. She hawked the perimeter and also dropped back to lock down the paint, protecting the rim and swatting a pair of shots. I was impressed with her poise and leadership, most of all. Li is aware the it starts and ends with her, and she handles it well.

Franklin High was the host site for this year's More Than A Highlight Showcase, pitting some of the region's top teams against each other. These six dazzled and stood out as the most electric players I got eyes on: