Storm Lake vs. Spencer — Court's Super Six

Staying on the Western side of the state tonight, I was able to check out 4A squads Storm Lake and Spencer as they squared off for a Lakes Conference clash. Both teams came out firing in the first half but the name of the game in the second half was adaptation — who D'ed up, who read the defense, and who did what needed to be done to get the W. Storm Lake was able to clamp down defensively, giving up only six points in the fourth quarter, to steal a win on Spencer's home floor. Within this matchup were five players who I thought brought the juice — owning the glass, draining deep threes, and making big stops...you name it, these players did it. Check out my Super Six below.    This fab freshman came alive late-game and was instrumental in Storm Lake's second half surge. A combo guard with size, [player_tooltip player_id='1219692' first='Reagan' last='DeHaan'] cut tactfully through Spencer's press and converted high-quality looks, finishing the game with 10 big points. She showed her range by hitting a spray out three on a kick-out as well as a big transition triple in the second half. Off the bounce Reagan flashed a slick crossover to free herself for a layup as well as a coast-to-coast finish where she sliced across the lane for a left-handed finish. On defense, Reagan was a solid on-ball defender with disciplined hands and quick feet. Very well done from this freshman last night.     [player_tooltip player_id='560332' first='Avery' last='DeHaan']'s season stats show that she does a little bit of everything for her Tornadoes squad, and yesterday was more of the same. Finishing the game with 18 points, Avery controlled the pace as the team's primary ball handler and playmaker. She knows the gravity she has on the floor and does a great job finding open teammates when the defense's eyes are on her. Additionally, she did a superb job passing the ball through Spencer's press — she hit cutters at just the right time and utilized her dribble to separate from incoming trappers. To create her own shot, Avery found pockets behind the screen for tough threes and shrugged off defenders with a balanced step back. In the paint she stuck in a putback off of a strong offensive rebound and a secured a momentum-sealing and-1 off of a backdoor cut. In short, [player_tooltip player_id='560332' first='Avery' last='DeHaan'] had a balanced, veteran performance.     I really enjoyed the energy and hustle that [player_tooltip player_id='1219678' first='Grace' last='Kenkel'] brought to last night's matchup. The steady senior was a consistent threat in the paint and was an absolute animal on the boards. I don't remember many defensive rebounds in this game that didn't have Kenkel's handprints on them, she was that dominant. Positioning-wise, she boxed out well and hunted down rebounds after creating contact. On the offensive end Grace used this same physicality to post up — once she had a deep seal, she was tough to stop. Scoring a game-high 19 points, Grace converted in a number of ways including a drop step, a nifty reverse against contact, and a reverse seal for an easy left-handed lay. Her impact extended to the defensive end as well where she tied up a handful of Spencer's drivers and altered finishes at the rim.     In a game where buckets were at a premium [player_tooltip player_id='1057461' first='Sydnee' last='Hopkins'] was a go-to threat for Spencer. Shots weren't falling as well as the Tigers had hoped in the second half but Sydnee's confidence from the three point line helped keep them within striking distance. Nailing her first three-point attempts of the game, Hopkins showed her ability to shoot off the dribble, off the catch, and in transition (I believe she finished the game with 5 made threes). Sydnee also has an explosive first step that was hard to slow down and used it nicely to weave into the lane. Her game-high 19 points featured a strong fadeaway pull-up through contact as well as a hesitation + blow by. Well done on a strong outing from the senior guard.     I think Madelyn McWhirter did a nice job getting the little things done for the Spencer Tigers last night. She's playing in just her third game of the season and made an impact every time she checked into the game — she was opportunistic in scoring opportunities and made continual hustle plays all game long. After a strong block out to secure a defensive rebound in the second half, McWhirter ran the floor and splashed a three on a kick-out from the post. The next possession I found her diving into the student section to try and save a loose ball. I also liked her reads on offense — one of my favorite plays from McWhirter was a blow by on a closeout for a nice bounce pass to her post play at the rim. Just an all-around effort game for Madelyn.     There is a lot to like about this athletic freshman — she made an impact across the floor last night. Listed at 6'0', Calista Frankenstein showed discipline on the defensive and variety on offense. I had her down for five blocks on the night — she was composed in the lane against much bigger, older players and stayed vertical every time someone went up to finish. Her timing and verticality led her to some emphatic swats. She also used her athleticism to slow down opposing ball handlers at the top of Spencer's press. On offense, I liked Frankenstein's ability to take what the defense gave her. If the drive was there, she was aggressive to the rim. If the paint was full, she pulled up off the dribble. If no one trailed her off the down screen, she curled into a catch and shoot three. Her size, skill, and IQ will make her to player to watch in Class 4A in the coming years.

Staying on the Western side of the state tonight, I was able to check out 4A squads Storm Lake and Spencer as they squared off for a Lakes Conference clash. Both teams came out firing in the first half but the name of the game in the second half was adaptation — who D'ed up, who read the defense, and who did what needed to be done to get the W. Storm Lake was able to clamp down defensively, giving up only six points in the fourth quarter, to steal a win on Spencer's home floor. Within this matchup were five players who I thought brought the juice — owning the glass, draining deep threes, and making big stops...you name it, these players did it. Check out my Super Six below.