PGH Great Lakes Region Finals: 17U Sunday Gamechangers

[program_tooltip program_id='716111' first='Hoopademix' last=''] 17U battled to the top of the Silver Bracket and completed their Championship run with a 63-55 victory over Quad Cities Academy, taking home the Great Lakes Region Finals rings to commemorate their victory. Here are some of the top performers from both squads and two more prospects from Sunday's slate.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/06/PXL_20260531_192305973-crop-2913x1913-1780500323.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1865481" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">17U Silver Bracket Champions, [program_tooltip program_id='716111' first='Hoopademix' last=''], PGH Great Lakes Region Finals, May 31st, 2026. </figcaption></figure>    Sariah delivered a big-time performance in the 17U Silver bracket Championship Game to help [program_tooltip program_id='716111' first='Hoopademix' last=''] take the victory. She penetrated the defense with her quick dribbles and drove straight to the rim, finishing layups effectively in traffic. Sariah muscled through contact for a speedy and-one finish in transition and dished out nice dump passes after drawing help defenders. She jumped into the passing lane for the steal, motored up the court, side-stepped the final defender, and used a high pick-up to score a smooth inside hand finish without slowing down. Sariah reached in with her quick hands to poke the ball away and harassed opposing guards with her aggressive pressure. She has great balance and body control, able to finish in contested situations with either hand.     Olivia played hard for NWI Select 17U throughout the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals, and her complete impact caught my attention. She split the defense on a hard drive to the basket and scored the contested layup with a nice ball transfer. Olivia jumped a pass for a swipe and score, took a defensive rebound 94 feet for a bucket, swished an open three from the wing, and boxed out using great technique to secure the rebound. She lost her defender up top with a quick crossover and attacked downhill with zero hesitation for two points. Olivia drove down the baseline with a burst to score a strong and-one layup, and her aggressive takes to the basket resulted in free throws. She has the versatility to play multiple positions.     Avery contributed to the success of Quad Cities Academy 17U in a variety of ways during the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals, helping the team reach the Silver bracket Championship Game. She worked hard to secure rebounds on both ends of the court, sprinting in and staying with plays to score putbacks. Avery earned free throws by driving hard to the basket and going up strong after winning battles for offensive rebounds. She knocked down free throws and finished layups with both hands. Avery stayed sharp on the defensive end, intercepting multiple passes to eliminate scoring chances for the opponent. Her high motor and gritty effort stood out during the games.     Mikayla gave NWI Select 17U a boost with her efficiency from beyond the arc during the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals. She keeps her feet balanced and catches to shoot, sinking multiple corner triples during my time watching her play. Mikayla moves well without the ball, distributes quick passes to open teammates, knocks down free throws confidently at the line, pushes the ball up the floor with both hands in transition, and finishes at the rim with good touch.     Bridget was the court general for Quad Cities Academy 17U at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals, and her impact helped the team reach the Silver Championship Game. She changes speeds with the ball and uses a variety of hesitations, crossovers, inside-outs, and behind-the-back snaps to create space. Bridget is a skilled passer. She gets the ball to open teammates by changing the trajectory and method of her delivery based on where the defense is. Bridget provided timely buckets from the perimeter, shooting the ball with confidence off the dribble and the catch. She drove hard downhill and scored layups through contact, while also staying active in the passing lanes on defense to create steals.     Zanylah was a dynamic guard in the [program_tooltip program_id='716111' first='Hoopademix' last=''] backcourt whose impact on both ends helped the team secure a Silver Championship at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals. She showed her explosive quickness off the dribble, using a crossover punch-step to shake her defender, then instantly switched into high gear to drive by with a burst of speed for the layup. She finished well off two feet, sprinted in to score offensive rebound putbacks, created steals with her ball pressure, and showed off her high vertical in the paint. Zanylah climbed the ladder to high point a miss in mid-air and scored the tip in like she was playing a game of 21.     Hayden gave Quad Cities Academy 17U an advantage in the paint with her length, physicality, skill, and effort. Her presence in the Silver Championship Game stood out at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals. Hayden caught a pass with soft hands, got the scoring angle with a spin, and scored with a soft finish with her left hand off the glass. She persevered in the paint, battling for position to secure many offensive rebounds. Hayden grabbed two on the same possession before dishing out an assist, and her determination forced the opponent to send her to the free throw line. Hayden cut backdoor to score a smooth catch and finish layup off two feet and converted another high-percentage shot with her left off two. She has the confidence to step outside and shoot from beyond the arc and stays active on the defensive end to generate steals.

Hoopademix 17U battled to the top of the Silver Bracket and completed their Championship run with a 63-55 victory over Quad Cities Academy, taking home the Great Lakes Region Finals rings to commemorate their victory. Here are some of the top performers from both squads and two more prospects from Sunday's slate.