Aiken HS vs South Aiken HS

The second of two games this week between Aiken and South Aiken went just as the first one did – in Aiken’s favor as the Hornets defeated the Thoroughbreds by a final score of 33-22. The first, from Tuesday Feb. 2, concluded in a 45-34 decision in the Hornets’ favor. As the score suggests, it was a defensive-minded contest from start to finish with occasional flashes of offense. South Aiken coach Zackery Green said after the game that his team made mistakes in executing the little things. Hornets coach Aubrey Pompey had to be pleased with how his team did perform, particularly with how his team stymied the South Aiken attack. Prep Girls Hoops was on hand at South Aiken for the contest between the two Region 5-AAAA rivals. Here is a close look at who stood out on Friday night. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-253116" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/02/829BF68C-7D9D-477C-A615-E67E33BD39A1.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="253109" first="Deovion" last="Thomas"] – 2021 – South Aiken High School</strong> – Deovion is speedy, athletic, tenacious and efficient. She is one of the Thoroughbreds’ primary point guard to set up their offense in either half court or transition situations. She concluded the game with 14 of South Aiken’s 22 points, and a key to that was her 3-point shooting. Thomas drained three from behind the arc for the game, including two from downtown in the first quarter. Thomas also displayed an ability to weave her way to the basket and get creative with her shot selection near the rim. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="185230" first="Quantashia" last="Davis"] – 2022 – Aiken High School</strong> – Davis, arguably, proved to be the x-factor for the Hornets’ attack on Friday night. She displayed efficient rebounding and ball handling skills, but what stuck out was how she used her height to her advantage. Listed at an even 6 feet, Davis managed to consistently get in position near the rim to convert on high percentage shots. She even managed to make things happen as well on the defensive side by intercepting a T-Breds pass or two. Davis scored 12 points. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="242928" first="Jakiah" last="McDuffie"] – 2024 – South Aiken High School</strong> – Another of the Thoroughbreds primary point guards, McDuffie will be one to watch these next few years. She is another with plenty of speed and that attribute to her game will throw opponents off balance, particularly on the defensive end. She is also a very smart passer with plenty of court vision to find open teammates to put them in position to convert on good shot opportunities. McDuffie is also an efficient rebounder and can get nifty as well with her shot selection. She only finished with a pair of points on an evening where scoring was at a premium. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-253117" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/02/865549F3-F225-4408-84DF-6E601C801FCE.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="253111" first="Jazmin" last="McCollough"] – 2022 – Aiken High School</strong> – What sticks out to any coach is when she or he has players that come through in the second half of games. McCullough did that on Friday night. No. 12, fittingly, finished with 12 points, but 10 of those 12 points came in the third and fourth quarters. McCullough did so because she displayed a knack for attacking the rim and also managed to attract contact to put her at the free throw line. Her rebounding capabilities were on display as well. She was also on point with several of her Hornets teammates on ball movement – an important element to winning low-scoring contests such as this one. <strong>Allison Carter – 2021 – South Aiken High School</strong> – Carter was also in the starting five for the Thoroughbreds and provided a great deal of energy for the team. While she may not have filled up the stat sheet, she was a key factor in why the Thoroughbreds raced out to the early 6-2 lead they had after the first quarter. Carter corralled in key rebounds, showcased her ball handling abilities and was not afraid to try mid-range and long-range jump shots. She also plays the sort of defense teammates and coaches appreciate by fearlessly getting in an opponent’s face and making things difficult for those opponents, whether they do or do not have the ball in their hands. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="253112" first="Norriyah" last="Bradley"] – 2024 – Aiken High School</strong> - In defensively sound games such as Friday’s, one wants players that will look for shot opportunities near the rim. Bradley did that. One also wants players that will come up through in the clutch on defense. On one occasion in the second quarter, she intercepted a T-breds inbounds pass leading to a put-back near the rim by Davis. Bradley’s ability in attacking the rim also put her at the line for three-point play opportunities. Her ball movement was also featured and she also played lockdown defense away from the ball to keep the South Aiken offense in check – as it was, seemingly, all game.