Fastbreak: Quick Recap of Rural and 1A Finals

There has been some serious playoff basketball here in Lakeland. The elite players have played like the elite players, the X factors have been X factors, and there has been numerous players who have come from under the radar. In this article, we take a Fastbreak look at some of the prospects who stood out in the Rural and 1A Finals.   [player_tooltip player_id='243895' first='Lena' last='Girardi'] (cover) put on one of the most dominant performances in recent memory. She was double teamed from the moment she stepped off the bus, and still she managed to pour in 35 points and 23 rebounds. What stood out was her strength, her physicality, her skillset, and her basketball IQ. Girardi strategically used back door cuts and the offensive glass as weapons. Girardi was a beast all year long and as good as she was as a Junior, she was stronger and more skilled as a Senior.   [player_tooltip player_id='419934' first='Abby' last='Price'] shot the ball well in the finals. Price wrapped up a stellar career with multiple threes on the evening, but nothing was greater than sharing the moment with the head coach, her father. The Price was just right. Price contributed all over the court with solid defense and good ball handling.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/DSC01871.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1208183" /></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='400803' first='Trinidy' last='Harris'] was all of that and a “bag of chips” in the Rural finals. The ball handling, the defensive skills, the foot speed, the ball IQ, and the ability to put the ball in the basket (Especially in crunch time). Harris scored in every variety. Her three point shooting down the stretch was hammering. As Holmes County was making a late run, Harris heated up and made several long range threes to seal the deal. She finished with 29 points and shot 50 percent for the day.   THE HEARRTS of CHAMMPIONS   Someone forgot to tell NFEI that they were a decisive underdog in the 1A Finals. NFEI came to play.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/DSC01523.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1208145" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1201802' first='Jannell' last='Houston'] was very impressive during the finals. Houston was virtually unstoppable getting to the rim, and she got there all game long. Her finishes were crafty, creative, and most were “money!” Houston can handle the ball, and she uses those handles to create her shots from the perimeter. She must have scored 3 to 4 jumpers on step backs with the defender retreating. Defensively, she was just as impressive shooting the passing lanes.   [player_tooltip player_id='515001' first='Jorrdann' last='Sibley'] held her own in the finals and had some very good finishes and scores. Sibley scored in the paint and also had a few nice shots from the perimeter. The Freshman did a nice job of running the point and distributing to her teammates . Sibley has a flair for the big play and rises to the occasion in big moments. She is not intimidated by the moment. Even in the State Championship Finals, she was calm.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/DSC01785.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1208166" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1205008' first='Emma' last='Whitaker'] was a beast in the semifinals and finals this week. The Senior guard kept her team around until the end in the finals and really acquitted herself well. Whitaker got to the rim, got to the free-throw line , and scored from behind the arc. Her mental game was as impressive as the physical. She refused to go quietly and her game was loud all the way ‘til the end (17 points, two threes, 15 rebounds).   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/DSC02314.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1208200" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='646515' first='Zoey' last='Brown'] did her thing as usual and ended the game with 15 points, three steals, and tons of pressures and deflections that led to steals by teammates.   A close to perfect 10   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/DSC02184.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1208201" /></figure>   Ja'niya Corbin attempted 10 freethrows and shot a very respectable 80 percent. She also was very good in the full court press and grabbed 4 boards from the guard position.

There has been some serious playoff basketball here in Lakeland. The elite players have played like the elite players, the X factors have been X factors, and there has been numerous players who have come from under the radar. In this article, we take a Fastbreak look at some of the prospects who stood out in the Rural and 1A Finals.