Craze Sports Live Thanksgiving Showcase: Day Two Recaps

While local and regional early season tournaments typically take up the lion's share of the schedule in November and December, there are a few showcase events that feature teams from multiple states.    That was the case the final weekend of November as Craze Sports organized an event that featured teams from the Carolinas as well as other teams from states neighboring them – including Georgia.    We at Prep Girls Hoops also made the trip up to Indian Land – where the event took place for the day's seven-day slate. Without further ado, here is our recap of how the latter four contests unfolded.    Grovetown vs. Marvin Ridge   At this point, those attending the Craze Sports Live Thanksgiving Showcase had seen a team from the Hoop State match up against an intra-state foe and an interstate foe. It was time to see how a North Carolina assembling would match up against someone from another interstate foe in one from Georgia.    6A Grovetown from the Peach State has had a fast start to the season at 5-1 – almost halfway to their complete win total from last season (nine). The Warriors' lone blemish of the season so far has been to 2A Josey – state champions from 2021-22. The Mavericks, a 4A team, have began the season with a loss to Mallard Creek but a victory over Ardrey Kell – two other 4A programs. They also defeated 5A Greenwood on the first day of the showcase.   On this day, Hoop State was better than Peach State as the Mavericks bested the Warriors by a commanding final score of 73-38.    Quarter-By-Quarter   Fresh off the victory over Greenwood, Marvin Ridge was in search of a repeat effort against their Georgia adversaries. So far, so good for the Hoop State representatives. With one in the books, the Marvin Ridge lead was 19-7.   The Mavericks continued to pour it on in the second quarter – and a huge key for Marvin Ridge's success was the seven 3-pointers they made in the opening eight minutes. At the break it was Mavericks 38 and Warriors 16.   Good news for Grovetown – their best offensive frame of the game happened at that point in the third quarter. The bad news for the Warriors was that their deficit with Marvin Ridge was still in double digits. It was 53-30 at the end of three stanzas.   With no extended run in sight for the Warriors, this one became a matter of how big the Marvin Ridge margin of victory would be. The answer to that question was 32 points – much bigger than the 10-point margin that was the difference between the Mavericks and Greenwood.   Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1501.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093010" style="width:468px;height:auto" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='622006' first='Kate' last='Schindler'] continued to resemble the Division I prospect she is. She scored 19 points and those 19 were roughly evenly distributed between the first and second half. Included in her day were three 3-pointers.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1503.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093011" style="width:470px;height:auto" /></figure>   Freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='1230286' first='Haley' last='Lenahan'] also joined the three-point barrage. She tallied 11 points and also delivered three from downtown as well. The Mavericks as a team had another stellar afternoon from behind the arc, draining 13 from deep.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1506.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093012" style="width:477px;height:auto" /></figure>   In spite of the result, the Warriors benefitted from a spirited performance from Jordan Cavalier. The junior small forward for Grovetown led all Warriors point-getters with 11. Cavalier is one of four juniors on the Grovetown roster.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1504.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093013" style="width:484px;height:auto" /></figure>   Speaking of veterans, another gave the Warriors a lift all game long. That seasoned vet was McKenna Middleton, a senior guard. She added 10 points and spearheaded Grovetown's early attack.   What's Next?   Both the Warriors and Mavericks will be back in action on Dec. 3. Grovetown will host another 6A team in Heritage while Marvin Ridge will travel to Myers Park.     Central Cabarrus vs. Northwestern   One thing that these two schools have in common is that they both have gold as part of their school colors.    Central Cabarrus' gold is accompanied by green. Unfortunately for the 3A Vikings their 2024-25 season has yet to be accompanied by wins. Central Cabarrus was 0-2 going into the Craze Sports Live Thanksgiving Tournament and began the event by taking on Grovetown out of Georgia. That made the Vikings' record 0-3.   Meanwhile, the showcase is serving as the season opener for 5A Northwestern. The Trojans began the event by taking on in-state foe North Central prior to its get-together with the Vikings.    Gold was better when it was accompanied by purple as opposed to green on Saturday. The Trojans got the better of the Vikings by virtue of its 56-34 victory.    Quarter-By-Quarter   A tale of two halves of a quarter ensued in the opening frame. Northwestern started the contest with an 8-0 run which eventually prompted a Central timeout. The Trojans lead then ballooned to 16-2 prior to the Vikings answering with a 10-2 binge to close the frame. At the end of one quarter, Northwestern led Central Cabarrus 18-12.   At one point in the second half, the Vikings only trailed the Trojans by a margin of 21-17. That frame later saw an injury to a Central Cabarrus starter and its coach receiving a technical foul – and then an ejection – for arguing referee calls. Northwestern grew its lead into double digits again and went into halftime with a 35-18 advantage.   The third quarter was more defensive-minded than the previous two frames given a total of 15 points were scored between the two teams. It was still in the favor of the Trojans as their lead was 43-25 going into the final quarter.    As was the case in the matchup between Marvin Ridge and Grovetown, the victor was no longer in doubt – the point margin was the only thing that was. That margin turned out to be 18 as the final score was a Northwestern 43-25 victory.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1516-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093014" style="width:573px;height:auto" /></figure>   Lael Lowery was the leading scorer for either team. The Trojans junior guard finished Saturday's contest with 13 points. Lowery managed to display her ability to put points on the board from all three levels.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1515-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093015" style="width:569px;height:auto" /></figure>   A pair of Northwestern senior forwards added 11 points to aid the Trojans' cause. One of those was Camryn Bennett. Most of her scoring occurred in the first half of play – she placed eight on the board in the first 16 minutes.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1509.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093016" style="width:561px;height:auto" /></figure>   The other senior forward with 11 points was Jalyn Jones. She led the early efforts for Northwestern as all 11 of her points came in the first half. Jones is one of three seniors on the Trojans' roster.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1518.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093018" style="width:558px;height:auto" /></figure>   Speaking of seniors, a 2025 was the leading bucket-getter for Central Cabarrus. That was Daniyah Burton who plays as a forward and who also shares team captaincy duties. Burton finished with 10 points.    What's Next?   Northwestern and Central Cabarrus will resume battle against in-state opponents on Tuesday. Both teams will also be on the road. The Trojans will be at South Pointe and the Vikings travel to Northwest Cabarrus.     West Charlotte vs. [program_tooltip program_id='713552' first='1' last='of 1'] Prep   At this point, for the first time since the second day of the Craze Sports Live Thanksgiving Showcase commenced, the two teams that were on the court were both from North Carolina.    The schedule for the 3A Lions has so far included a victory on Nov. 21 over 4A Palisades and one on the first day of the event over Shelby. The [program_tooltip program_id='713552' first='1' last='of 1'] Prep Academy program of course plays a less conventional schedule than a typical high school team. Its 2024-25 has included wins over Concord Academy, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee, Tocoi Creek and Concord and has seen losses to Cannon, Winston Salem Christian National and PHH Prep National out of Phoenix.    The second-to-last victor of the day would be [program_tooltip program_id='713552' first='1' last='of 1'] Prep as it prevailed over West Charlotte by a final of 67-26.    Quarter-By-Quarter   [program_tooltip program_id='713552' first='1' last='of 1'] Prep looked like [program_tooltip program_id='713552' first='1' last='of 1'] Prep early on as it embarked on a 7-0 run to commence the contest. A West Charlotte layup halted the scoring binge only for [program_tooltip program_id='713552' first='1' last='of 1'] Prep to respond with eight more points. With one in the books, [program_tooltip program_id='713552' first='1' last='of 1'] Prep's lead was 21-5.    The points continued to be poured on even though the Lions had a bit more success finding the basket than was the case in the first quarter. As both teams went into their respective locker rooms to discuss second half strategy, [program_tooltip program_id='713552' first='1' last='of 1'] Prep was routing West Charlotte by a margin of 41-13.   As the third quarter arrived, it was clear that another rout was in the works. With three quarters having elapsed, [program_tooltip program_id='713552' first='1' last='of 1'] Prep was cruising ahead by over 30. The lead was 58-22 over West Charlotte.    [program_tooltip program_id='713552' first='1' last='of 1'] Prep entered its matchup with West Charlotte having only three losses on the season – and it would exit its contest with the Lions with the same amount. The final margin of victory would be an emphatic 41 points.   Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1524.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093020" style="width:483px;height:auto" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='302214' first='Jodi' last='King'] would lead all scorers with 16 points. As was the case earlier in the day with Marvin Ridge, King and [program_tooltip program_id='713552' first='1' last='of 1'] Prep unleashed a barrage of 3-pointers on the Lions. She had three of [program_tooltip program_id='713552' first='1' last='of 1'] Prep's 11 triples this game.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1526.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093021" style="width:484px;height:auto" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='509587' first='Miley' last='Malcolm'] also joined in on the points parade – including the 3-point parade. She finished with 14 points and had two of those 11 3-pointers. Malcolm primarily operates as a two guard – a 6-foot-2 two guard.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1523-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093022" style="width:479px;height:auto" /></figure>   Pacing the efforts for West Charlotte was senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1097205' first='Chakira' last='Generette']. She had eight points. Out of those eight, five of them were placed on the scoreboard in the second half. Generette is one of three seniors on this year's Lions team.   What's Next?   Up next for [program_tooltip program_id='713552' first='1' last='of 1'] Prep is a matchup at Lab University Prep on Dec. 4. Two days later, West Charlotte will host 4A Berry.    Legion Collegiate vs. Winston Salem Christian   Last, but not least, was a matchup that, on paper, certainly qualifies as a main event.    Both Legion Collegiate and Winston Salem Christian's national team had played a busy schedule given it was only late November. Going into the event, the Lancers were 5-4 including wins over Example Academy out of Illinois, Providence Day, Covenant Day, Parkwood and Charlotte Catholic (a 4A state finalist from last season).    Going into the event, the Lions had only lost one matchup out of the eight they had played. That one defeat occurred on Nov. 26 vs. Montverde Academy out of Florida.    Those in attendance would be heading home following another Winston Salem Christian win as the Lions were victorious over the Lancers with the final score reading 62-40.    Remember What Happened Last Time?    Winston Salem Christian and Legion Collegiate last shared the same court two years ago in late December. That contest went the way of the Lions in resounding fashion as they thrashed the Lancers by a final score of 59-28.   Quarter-By-Quarter   Even though Winston Salem Christian was the designated home team, the atmosphere inside the Warriors home court made the contest feel as if it was back at Legion Collegiate. Those Lancers fans had plenty to cheer about early on as their team jumped out to a 7-2 advantage. The Lions then responded with a 6-2 spurt of their own. It was 14-10 in Legion Collegiate's favor.   As cold as it was outside, for much of the second quarter, the temperature felt even lower as both Lancers and Lions went Arctic cold from the field. Winston Salem Christian's first field goal of the second quarter occurred with around two minutes to play in the frame – then the team made a few more. At the break, the Lions built a six-point, 22-16 lead.    With Winston Salem Christian outscoring Legion Collegiate by a margin of 25-10 what was built up as possibly the most competitive contest of the day was playing out the way its predecessors did. The Lions lead with one to go was 47-26.   The theme of the day where victors were not in doubt – only point margins – surprisingly continued as the girls basketball slate concluded at Indian Land. When all was said and done, 22 would be that final margin of victory for Winston Salem Christian.   Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1532-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093023" style="width:489px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jocelyn Grier 2026</figcaption></figure>   As the game went longer, [player_tooltip player_id='393656' first='Jocelyne' last='Grier'] appeared to get stronger. She would lead all point scorers with a 27-point performance. Grier closed strong as she had 16 of her 27 in the second half.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1534.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093025" style="width:489px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='303465' first='Kylie' last='Torrence'] 2025</figcaption></figure>   Grier along with [player_tooltip player_id='303465' first='Kylie' last='Torrence'] are two Winston Salem Christian players who share team captaincy duties. The Lancers offense had few answers for the star senior who added 15 to the Lions' total.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1528.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093028" style="width:487px;height:auto" /></figure>   Pacing the Lancers was star junior big [player_tooltip player_id='496215' first='Ayona' last='Alexander']. She finished with 15 points. While her scoring and rebounding gets her the lion's share of her attention, Alexander is also willing to attack the rim from the open floor and fall to the floor if it means completing a play.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1531-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1093029" style="width:473px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='389297' first='Devin' last='Long'] 2025</figcaption></figure>   Legion's Collegiate's efforts in the interior were led, per usual, by Alexander. Its backcourt efforts were spearheaded by [player_tooltip player_id='389297' first='Devin' last='Long']. She added 14 points – including a pair of 3-pointers to the Lancers' offensive output.   What's Next?   Both Winston Salem Christian National and Legion Collegiate will host matchups on Tuesday. That Dec. 3 the Lions will host TPLS Christian Academy out of Henrico County, Virginia just outside of Richmond. That same day, the Lancers host Carolina International.

While local and regional early season tournaments typically take up the lion's share of the schedule in November and December, there are a few showcase events that feature teams from multiple states.