Game Forum: St. Thomas Aquinas vs Blanche Ely

I headed over to Fort Lauderdale to watch St. Thomas Aquinas take on Blanche Ely in the regional semifinals of the Class 6A state tournament. The Lady Raiders would go on to win, 57-53. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="91561" first="Michiyah" last="Simmons"] missed a deep three with seconds remaining that would have tied the game at 56. St. Thomas Aquinas beat Blanche Ely by a combined nine points in three meetings this season. The No.1 seed Raiders will face No. 2 seed Seminole Ridge in the regional final. This was a state championship atmosphere that unfortunately someone had to lose. Quick takes: I thought Ely hurt itself with turnovers in the first quarter and on the defensive glass. An extra possession for Ely and away from the Raiders and the Tigers might have walked away with a victory. Aquinas hit seven 3-pointers to the Tigers’ three. Score breakdown: STA 18 - ELY 9 - 1st Quarter STA 28 - ELY 24 - 2nd Quarter ELY 39 - STA 38 - 3rd Quarter STA 57 - ELY 53 - 4th quarter Standouts: I thought 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="154841" first="Jada" last="Green"] was the best player on the floor tonight. Why? The 6-foot forward hit two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Big-time players come up with big-time plays with the game and season on the line. Green was a three-level scorer and finished with 15 points. Her length was also a problem on defense. She is a University of Richmond signee. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="151282" first="Alancia" last="Ramsey"] overcame first half foul trouble with a big third quarter. The 6-foot-1 forward was strong on the offensive glass and had at least nine boards overall. Ramsey used her size and toughness to crash the boards. In addition, she was able to score off putbacks due to her rebounding or was fouled. Overall, this gave St. Thomas Aquinas points off second chance opportunities. Ramsey finished with ten points. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="91561" first="Michiyah" last="Simmons"] gave it her all for Blanche Ely. The 5-foot-8 point guard had 17 points and a pair of 3-pointers. I thought Simmons was aggressive with the ball in her hands in the fourth quarter. The Tigers’ captain attacked the rim using her quickness and hit perimeter shots. Simmons played like a senior leader in the final minutes. She showed tremendous effort to the final second of her career. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="91568" first="Zaria" last="Blake"] did a good job scoring around the paint for Blanche Ely. The 6-foot-1 wing used her length and touch to finish with nine points. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="91563" first="Mya" last="Kone"] was good defensively with at least six boards and a pair of blocks. I thought the 6-foot-2 forward left a few buckets off the board on drives to the lane and lay-ins near the rim. A conversion or two here could have been big. Regardless, Kone showcased her skill and athleticism from my vantage point. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="91641" first="Karina" last="Gordon"] was a early star for St. Thomas Aquinas. The 5-foot-9 point guard scored ten of her 11 points in the first half and hit two 3-pointers. In addition, one of Green’s buckets was a nice baseline jumper. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="220011" first="Maya" last="Williams"] had ten points and was clutch on the free-throw line. 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="91572" first="Breanna" last="Gustave"] did a good job as a rebounding guard and 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="219942" first="Reina" last="Green"] hit two 3-pointers. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="221705" first="Laketrice" last="Peterson"] did an excellent job on the glass. The 5-foot-10 center had at least five rebounds and seven points overall. Peterson grabbed multiple offensive boards during one sequence and ended up on the free-throw line. Overall, she had the frame to control the paint in stretches. Fellow sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="219925" first="Janessa" last="Kelley"] added nine points. For any South Florida Prep Girls Hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Mungertown_Mike23 on Twitter or @Steins_23 on Instagram.