Shamrocks Rockey Delivers Knockout Performance

In a tight defensive battle between two scrappy D4 programs, Portland St. Patrick defeated Tri-Unity Christian 38-32 to earn a hard-fought home victory. Both teams featured players with the potential to play at the next level, and neither squad yielded an inch. A rematch could be in store if both teams make it to the Region 29 Finals, which is exactly what I'm predicting. These are the girls who stood out from both teams on Thursday night.    Molly is a freshman with a bright future ahead of her. She energized Tri-Unity Christian with her outstanding hustle, effort, persistent rebounding, and aggressive play on both sides of the ball. Molly used textbook wall-up technique while jumping to contest a layup attempt, forcing the miss. She came flying in from the perimeter like she was shot out of a cannon to grab offensive rebounds. Molly drove downhill with a full head of steam to earn trips to the foul line. She dropped in a contested floater off the bounce and picked off passes from the help side. Molly buried a confident jumper off the catch and pursued missed shots to create additional scoring chances. She scored five points and led the team with 12 rebounds.     Macie stepped into a key role for St. Patrick during their Thursday win. She has some length, athleticism, and a versatile skill set. Macie's hard drives to the basket and backdoor cuts resulted in multiple layups in the first half. She has a burst and a second gear off the dribble. Macie finished a full-speed backdoor layup in stride and used a quick rip move to beat her defender down the baseline for two points. She changed directions confidently under pressure and handled the ball with poise. Macie scored half of the Shamrocks first half points and buried key free throws down the stretch to seal the win. She crashed the glass and ended the game with 10 points.     Isabella showed her toughness during a hard-nosed game at Portland St. Patrick's on Thursday. She shook off an injury and played through the pain for her team. Izzy's outside shot came alive in the third as she swished two pure triples from the wing. Izzy drove hard to the basket to cause fouls and finished a hard drive with a layup. She dished out assists, throwing strong skip passes and entry passes with a zip into the post. Izzy was vocal on defense and perfectly executed an intentional miss on her free throw in the closing seconds to give the Defenders an extra possession. She scored 11 points and added three assists. Izzy has an offer from Montcalm Community College and will be a solid addition to a college program.     Gracelyn impressed me as a freshman at an SVSU MLK Classic, and I was excited to see her again on Thursday. She did the small things coaches look for at the next level, like calling out her teammates' names in transition before making the pass. Gracelyn dove onto the floor, made the effort plays, and ripped the ball away from opponents. She made smart backdoor cuts and finished in traffic off two feet. Gracelyn took a steal the other way with pace and scored through contact for the and-one layup. She buried a smooth wing three and crashed the glass to score offensive rebound put-backs. Gracelyn was active in the passing lanes on defense, rotating quickly to create steals from the help side. She switched hands confidently to create space from defenders off the dribble. Gracleyn is an athletic and dynamic two-way prospect with the potential to be an impact guard in college. She led St. Patrick with 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and swiped seven steals.     Lily's scrappy defense and timely playmaking on the offensive end helped St. Patrick secure the win on Thursday. She started the third quarter with a clutch straightaway three-pointer and drove downhill with an explosive burst throughout the game. Lily got the crowd on their feet when she accelerated down the baseline, sidestepped a defender, absorbed contact, and converted the acrobatic and-one layup from an impossible angle without the backboard. Lily poured in eight points and grabbed four rebounds for the Shamrocks.     Bekah is a forward from Tri-Unity Christian who grabbed my attention on Thursday. Her length, physicality, athletic build, and effort in the post translate to the next level. Bekah sealed defenders with a strong stance inside, initiated contact with her shoulder, and forced her way to the rim. She finished multiple layups off two feet in traffic after catching entry passes. Bekah worked hard for the inside position, denied entry passes on defense, grabbed offensive rebounds, and blocked a shot. Bekah scored six points and added six rebounds for the Defenders.

In a tight defensive battle between two scrappy D4 programs, Portland St. Patrick defeated Tri-Unity Christian 38-32 to earn a hard-fought home victory. Both teams featured players with the potential to play at the next level, and neither squad yielded an inch. A rematch could be in store if both teams make it to the Region 29 Finals, which is exactly what I'm predicting. These are the girls who stood out from both teams on Thursday night.