CGHR Carolina Border Clash: 17U Standouts

For many of the region's premier prospects and travel teams, the focal point for the weekend was the Mooresville-Lake Norman area – more specifically, the Talbert Recreation Center.    That facility would play host to the Carolina Border Clash. Hosted by Carolina Girls Hoops Report, a number of teams from the 17U, 16U, 15U and 14U classes were on hand for two days of exciting basketball. The gathering welcomed teams and prospects from both Carolinas.    We at Prep Girls Hoops made the drive up to Mooresville for Saturday's slate of games. There were several performances from the 17U class that caught our attention. We spotlight a few of those here.     Powell is playing up in class as a 2028 on the [program_tooltip program_id='715414' first='SC' last='Lady Sixers'] 17U team. Even though her squad encountered plenty of rough patches against Charlotte Monarchs 17U, she proved to be a bright spot for her team. Powell understands the art of drawing contact and finding her way to the free throw line. Powell is offensively versatile as she can attack the rim as if she were a point guard or connect on a long-range jumper ala a two guard. She also remains active even when the ball is not in her hands and displays her confidence by calling for the ball when she knows she can make a play. Powell first played at the varsity level when she was an eighth grader and played in 28 games last season for 4A Wren where she averaged 11 points, three rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest. The Hurricanes will move down to 3A beginning next season.     The adage will forever be true in basketball that height cannot be coached. Smith provides plenty of it with a stature of more than six feet. Smith's junior season with 8A Mallard Creek concluded with her being part of a state championship-winning team. The height that she presents is complimented by her length which especially proves to be useful as a rebounder. Smith uses her height advantage to her and her team's benefit when in the interior to convert on high-percentage tries. Smith's junior season with the Mavericks would see her earn playing time in 20 of Mallard Creek's 30 games this season. The Mavericks went 24-6 this past season.     The 2025-26 Huskies of 8A Hough may not have had the season it had two years ago when they won 20 games, but Haines still led the Huskies to a winning season of 14-12. When game planning against Haines, a key element of said game plan needs to be how to contain Haines from 3-point range. She is one of the premier sharpshooters in North Carolina as evidenced by the 40 percent from distance she shot throughout last season. That proficiency from long range also translates into her attracting attention from defenses and opening things up for her teammates to make plays. Haines averaged 13.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 2.1 assists per game in 2025-26.     It was only a few weeks ago when Williams secured an offer from Pfeiffer University. Williams was another of the primary players that shined for [program_tooltip program_id='716105' first='Team' last='Mack'] 17U this past weekend. Her ability to handle the ball with either hand and deliver strong finishes at the rim will make things difficult for many a defense. As a 2027, Williams fuses together talent with veteran instincts. Her primary forte is playing the two – and she has the long-range accuracy of many two guards. Ball distribution, rebounding and collecting steals are also among Williams' strong areas. She averaged 12 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and two steals last season in the 22 games she played for C3 Concord Christian School.

For many of the region's premier prospects and travel teams, the focal point for the weekend was the Mooresville-Lake Norman area – more specifically, the Talbert Recreation Center.