10 Best: Southeast Polk vs. Dowling Catholic

The Monday night matchup between Southeast Polk and Dowling Catholic was tremendous on paper, but it might have been an even better game to watch in person. Dowling Catholic controlled the entire first half and led by the upper single digits throughout before a mini-run at the half by Southeast Polk cut the lead to 39-35. In the second half, it was all Southeast Polk as every player on their roster stepped up for the team and made winning plays. Southeast Polk led by four at the end of the third and had a tremendous scoring outburst in the fourth to take the win, 80-71. You can view the 10 Best below. <hr /> <strong>MVP: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/grace-larkins/">Grace Larkins</a> (Southeast Polk)</strong> There are about four different players I could name Most Valuable Player, but I am going to go with the South Dakota commit <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/grace-larkins/">Grace Larkins</a>. Grace was all over the floor and despite scoring just six points in the first half, exploded for 21 points in the second half. She was instrumental on both ends of the floor as she nabbed eight rebounds and dished off nine assists to her teammates. It was an all-around spectacular performance from Larkins leading her team to the win. <strong>Best Offensive Player: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/caitlin-clark/">Caitlin Clark</a> (Dowling Catholic)</strong> Clark scored an efficient 41 points while only taking 25 shots from the floor and shooting 60 percent from the floor. She was able to get to the rim at will and once she's there she is going to end up either getting to the line or making a shot. She was the player who kept Dowling Catholic in the game until the end as her teammates combined to go 12-for-27 from the floor. The only downside to Clark's game was her 3-point shooting as she went 3-for-11 from behind the arc. But she was 12-of-14 from inside the arc, so it cancels out. <strong>Best Defensive Player: Jessica Stuart (Southeast Polk)</strong> Stuart was all over the floor all night long and played a big role on the defensive end of the floor. She ended the night with four steals and all of them came at huge moments. Stuart wasn't phased by the moment at all on Monday night and she brought her A-game all night long. She played good defense and helped her team set the tone by not letting anything past her. Her length was evident in this one. <strong>Best Under-The-Radar Player: Jessica Stuart (Southeast Polk)</strong> To echo the above, Stuart was unbelievably good at everything she did. She scored 14 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out four assists, and had four steals. I don't think I can think of another player who played their role so perfectly in the last few years. Stuart knows what to do to help her team win games and that was very noticeable in the game. <strong>Best Shooter: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/rylie-kruse/">Rylie Kruse</a> (Southeast Polk)</strong> Kruse is a known shooter on the wing for Southeast Polk but that didn't stop her from hitting all of her attempts from behind the line. She was 2-of-2 on the night for her team and was able to knock both in under pressure. She has a very unorthodox release but she can really let it fly. Kruse once again showed that she is among the best shooters in the state. <strong>Best Rebounder: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/nyajuok-toang/">Nyajuok Toang</a> (Dowling Catholic)</strong> Toang was a force on the boards as the Saint Louis commit grabbed 11 rebounds which include five on the offensive glass. Toang was paramount in getting her team some second looks at the rim. She played with a really good motor and was flying around the floor under the rim to get the ball. She has really improved her mobility over the past few months and her rebounding is seeing a jump because of it. <strong>Best Underclassman: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/brooklin-dailey/">Brooklin Dailey</a> (Southeast Polk)</strong> Dailey was unreal in the early going of the game scoring eight quick points for Southeast Polk and performing well all night long. She was 6-of-10 from the floor and finished the game with 20 points. She had two huge offensive rebounds and always seemed to be in the right spot to get the big rebound. Dailey was on her A-game all night long and as a freshman on this stage, that is very hard to do. <strong>Best Intangibles: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/ella-mcvey/">Ella McVey</a> (Dowling Catholic)</strong> McVey is one of my favorite players to watch because she plays the game so hard. She was all over the floor tonight chasing rebounds and getting into the offensive player when they had the ball. I was impressed with her aggressiveness all night. While she won't score a ton of points, she is going to be a paramount player for the success that Dowling Catholic has this year. <strong>Best Hustle Play: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/lexi-boles/">Lexi Boles</a> (Dowling Catholic)</strong> Boles didn't play a ton in the game but made the most of it when she was in. In one sequence after a missed 3-pointer, Boles sprinted to the corner to corral an offensive board that flew long off the rim. Tiptoeing the sideline she turned and threw the ball right to a waiting <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/caitlin-clark/">Caitlin Clark</a> who, of course, nailed a 3-pointer off the pass from Boles. It was a tremendous hustle play that cannot be overlooked. <strong>Best JV Player: Olivia Spracklin (Dowling Catholic)</strong> I was able to catch a bit of the JV game and Spracklin caught my eye with her length and basketball IQ. She's a lengthy point guard who seems to know the game well and has the ability to distribute the ball to her teammates well. She finished at the rim a couple of times through traffic and I thought that she was able to play at a much higher level than everyone else. &nbsp;