Intriguing Prospects: Broken Arrow vs. Bixby
Bixby (6A No. 14) never trailed in their match-up with visiting Broken Arrow (6A No. 20) on Tuesday night. A very young Spartans line-up made 11 three-pointers en route to a 72-35 victory in their first home game of the…
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Continue ReadingBixby (6A No. 14) never trailed in their match-up with visiting Broken Arrow (6A No. 20) on Tuesday night. A very young Spartans line-up made 11 three-pointers en route to a 72-35 victory in their first home game of the season. Several players from both teams look to have a very bright future in the hoops world.
Gentry Baldwin | 5-5 G | Bixby
Baldwin is the definition of a floor general despite her freshman status. The Spartans look to her to lead the way, not only in distributing the ball, but with timely shooting also. The few times that the visiting Tigers seemed to be on a scoring run, it was Baldwin who calmly drained a three to extend her team’s lead. Baldwin is quick and clearly has a high basketball IQ, which seems to be a trend with this Bixby team. Baldwin finished with a game-leading 17 points, including five three-pointers.
Photo Credit: Jason Green – Prep Girls HoopsJada Hytche | 5-7 G | Broken Arrow
The aforementioned scoring runs from the Tigers were often led by the shooting of Hytche. As it became clear that the Spartans were not going to miss from deep, Hytche seemingly took it upon herself to throw up a lot of deep shots – with most of them going in. Hytche’s smooth stroke from behind the arc helped her to lead the Tigers with 16 points. Hytche is a high-motor player who never quits on a play and can be a force inside due to her willingness to mix it up.
Alyssa Nielsen | 5-11 P | Bixby
Yet another freshman star for the Spartans, Nielsen looked like she was going to absolutely dominate the game from the outset. The young post player scored eight of her 12 total points in the first quarter. In the paint, Nielsen is a beast. She fights hard for rebounds and is a powerhouse when battling for points down low. Her quiet demeanor off the court belies her fierce competitiveness on it. She shows a willingness to do the little things in order to help her team and seems to take it personally if the other team even considers scoring on the inside while she is there. She swatted numerous shots in the paint throughout the game as Broken Arrow was forced to settle for deeper shots because of her presence.
Photo Credit: Jason Green – Prep Girls HoopsTaleyah Jones | 5-8 G | Broken Arrow
In a line-up with no post players – according to the published roster – Jones is the closest thing that the Tigers have to an inside presence. Jones prefers to drive to the hoop and shows an uncanny ability to finish inside. On Tuesday night, with Bixby’s height advantage clearly on the mind of the Broken Arrow players, Jones was almost the only inside option. She is a high energy player who looks to be a leader for the Tigers for the next several years. The sophomore finished the night with eight points.
Gracy Wernli | 5-8 G | Bixby
Yet another Bixby freshman with all of the makings of a future star. Wernli shows incredible instincts while playing the passing lanes for steals and thinking a couple of passes ahead on offense. Wernli hit numerous timely three-pointers to get her team going if the offense ever seemed to be stagnating. Wernli has a smooth stroke when shooting and replicates it well inside and outside. She scored all of her 11 points in the first half before sitting for a while after her third foul. Even when not scoring, Wernli is a leader and continued to force bad passes and shots with her hustle on the defensive end.
Photo Credit: Jason Green – Prep Girls HoopsKate Bradley | 5-8 G | Bixby
Bradley is one of two upperclassmen in the starting line-up for the Spartans. She came out blazing on Tuesday night by hitting the first three of the game then immediately bringing down a defensive rebound and dishing out an assist. Her court vision is unparalleled and she shows a very high work ethic at both ends of the floor. Bradley ended the night with just five points, but was seemingly involved in every play at both ends.