Peach Games: New Names, Big Games on Night One

There were several very good teams in action this evening as Peach Games kicked off from multiple locations around Marietta, Georgia. Several players who I had not seen before made me take notice and their names because of how well they played in game one of the tournament. Their level of play made a big impression and it was a great way to start what should be an excellent event.    Ana is a player that I have heard a lot of good things about from people I respect around the game. She was playing excellent before being derailed by a major injury which caused her to miss this year's season with South Forsyth. She made good impressions early and they came more often as the game extended and she began to assert herself more on the offensive end. Anzola hit a pair of three point shots from each wing, got to the basket and finished on the fast break multiple times, and did a nice job penetrating the defense and getting into the painted area. She showed very good anticipation skills on defense which allowed her to get deflections and steals throughout the game for Redline. She was an efficient and effective scorer with the basketball in her hands. I look forward to seeing her play again this weekend.     Sofia is another player I had heard a lot about, but had not seen in person before the ball tipped in her game tonight. IT didn't take long to realize that she was clearly the best player on either team on the court. Her scoring did not get going until the second quarter, but she was excellent getting through pressure and dropping dimes to her teammates, specifically [player_tooltip player_id='841730' first='Heidi' last='Beck'] in the post. Pihera was also excellent on defense creating steals and causing deflections with her length. When she did start scoring it was from everywhere on the court- at the rim, pull ups and floaters from the midrange, and Sofia also buried multiple shots from three point range. She is also a very talented flag football player for St. Pius and you can see her vision translate from one sport to the other. When I asked her after the game, she said she was 100% basketball after high school and has a very strong drive to do so. With several college coaches in attendance at the event, that dream should become a reality sooner rather than later for Pihera.     Jones did a really nice job playing with controlled aggression from the beginning of the game helping to keep her team in it as long as she could. She was very effective slashing and attacking the basket from the wings, especially going baseline. She mixed that sequence up well with cutting and flashing to the ball in the middle of the defense and scored several times from 12 feet in. Jones also scored from three point range for 3TE. She put a lot of pressure on the Redline ball handlers, especially early in the game, making it difficult for them to initiate the offense. She was active on both the offensive and defensive boards for her team as well. Jones played the game with a lot of energy and enthusiasm throughout even when her team got down big. She is a player that earned a lot of respect from the opposing team tonight.     Beck did as good a job as any of the post players who I saw on night one. She is not only a tall kid at 6', but she knows where the weight room is and also knows how to utilize her power. Heidi did an excellent job sitting down, getting wide, and providing a target as post option to score throughout the game. She and Pihera played very well together and Beck was the recipient of several very nice looks from Sofia. Beck was very effective when she got the basketball on the block, either scoring inside or getting fouled and going to the free throw line several times throughout the game. Beck, at least on this night, proved that post players can be very good shooters from the charity strip as she sank a bunch of free throws. Beck rebounded the ball well and did a nice job on the defensive end. With her size and skill, she is another player I would not be surprised to continue playing after high school, something I know she really wants to do.     Hollyn is a name I have known and a kid I saw play years ago. She is a player well known around North Georgia for great size and length as well as very good athleticism. Hicks can really get off the floor and she did several times tonight from the job ball, to the many rebounds she was able to elevate and grab out of the air, to the smooth and skillful finishes she showed around the rim. Hollyn pulled a post defender out onto the perimeter on one play, let everyone clear out, and then blew right before before scoring with finesse. Hicks moves extremely well for a kid her size and is solid on both ends of the court. She wants to become a pilot after her playing days are over, so any college programs that offer that major should definitely give her a look!

There were several very good teams in action this evening as Peach Games kicked off from multiple locations around Marietta, Georgia. Several players who I had not seen before made me take notice and their names because of how well they played in game one of the tournament. Their level of play made a big impression and it was a great way to start what should be an excellent event.