Top Dogs in the Paint

I took a trip to Alburnett yesterday to watch the host Pirates take on the Edgewood - Colesburg Vikings. With both teams posting a similar record it's no surprise that the matchup was a slugfest — loose balls galore, plenty of energy, and some serious battles in the paint. That's where my focus will be in this article — players that stuck out to me around the rim both on offense and defense. Who was named Top Dog in the paint yesterday? Read along to find out!    To put it short, [player_tooltip player_id='1143266' first='Ellie' last='Kirby'] is a flat-out battler. If any player was diving on the floor or getting knocked trying to fight for a rebound last night, you can bet Kirby was in the mix too. She rebounds hard, doesn't shy away from physicality, and secures rebounds well before getting the ball to her teammates up the floor. I was also really impressed with Kirby's versatility offensively. She converted against high hands multiple times and did well to go up strong through contact. She wasn't one-dimensional either — Kirby had confident takes with both hands at the rim. She also found a few pockets in Alburnett's zone to show off her mid range jumper. To put the cherry on top, Kirby hit smooth free throws late in the fourth to solidify a win for the visiting Vikings.     [player_tooltip player_id='896429' first='Miranda' last='Neighbor'] is a gritty guard who does a lot of damage in two places: the back court and the paint. Early in both halves, Neighbor gave EdCo trouble with her ability to shoot into passing lanes in the press. She ended the game with five steals and did well to convert those turnovers into points. Finishing the night as a top scorer for her team, Neighbors finished a number of contested layups in transition with a strong left hand. No matter how high the defenders' hands were, Neighbor was able to finish. Neighbor also showed her willingness to call her own number by cruising past defenders for a coast to coast finish in the second half.     I liked the energy [player_tooltip player_id='1143245' first='Katelynn' last='Bowler'] brought to her team and her presence on the floor. She does a lot of things well and is not afraid to move bodies in the paint. Averaging 6.2 rebounds per game (good for top rebounder for the Pirates), Bowler attacks the boards with a head full of steam. She does the same on the offensive end too — I really liked her decision-making with the ball and her aggression in the paint vs. EdCo's zone. At one point Bowler used a shot fake on the perimeter, split two defenders in the zone, and hit a lefty runner in the lane over the outstretched hand of EdCo's most athletic defender. Bowler also hit two smooth three pointers in the second half with set feet and a comfortable release.     My Top Dog in last night's matchup goes to...(drumroll please)...[player_tooltip player_id='1143263' first='Lilee' last='Boriskey']! From tipoff to final buzzer, the junior forward showed off her high flying ability and impressed me with her nonstop hustle and strength through contact. As I'm looking back in my notes from the game, I have one statement underlined: athletic rebounder. Combined with her jumping ability, Boriskey has excellent timing on her rebounds and gave Alburnett fits all night — even through a double team. It's no surprise that she averages almost 19 points and 9 rebounds per game — with her work rate and drive to hunt down extra shots at the rim, she was in double figures in no time. She also used her timing to swat a few shots under the rim.

I took a trip to Alburnett yesterday to watch the host Pirates take on the Edgewood - Colesburg Vikings. With both teams posting a similar record it's no surprise that the matchup was a slugfest — loose balls galore, plenty of energy, and some serious battles in the paint. That's where my focus will be in this article — players that stuck out to me around the rim both on offense and defense. Who was named Top Dog in the paint yesterday? Read along to find out!