Preseason Thriller in OT: Ten Best from Florida Prep vs. Braden River
I was on the edge of my seat for the entirety of the final game last night at Seffner Christian. This game was loaded with talent, and a lot of players that will move on to play at the next…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingI was on the edge of my seat for the entirety of the final game last night at Seffner Christian. This game was loaded with talent, and a lot of players that will move on to play at the next level. For the Braden River Pirates, they are led by Junior O’Mariah Gordon (FL Gatorade PoY) and Kennesaw St commit Julia Rodriguez. The Falcons of Florida Prep have a ton of talent for a very tall 2A squad. To name a few: Junior Aleah Sorrentino (Ole Miss commit), Freshman Emma Risch, and Junior Emani Burks.
Braden River surprisingly controlled the first quarter by a score of 22-13 after a 14-5 run in what I thought would be a tight game throughout. Florida Prep began to use their length and size mismatch to bring the game back to 33 to 28 in favor of the Pirates at half. After the half, the story of the third quarter was Emma Risch and her in-rhythm 3 point shooting as she went 6 for 7 from beyond the arc in the 3rd quarter alone which shifted the lead to a Falcons 52-42 lead. Braden River made a push in the fourth on a few clutch buckets from O’Mariah that sent it into overtime. We actually saw 3 bad cramping incidents in this intense game with two from O’Mariah and one from Emani Burks which just goes to show how incredible this one was. Florida Prep closed it out with some big free throws from Shamya Joiner who also had a great defensive play to contest O’Mariah on the potential game-tying shot. The final score in OT ended up being 74-71 in a gutsy win by the Florida Prep Falcons. Here are my ten best of the game:
MVP: Aleah Sorrentino (Florida Prep)
Aleah looked settled in from her first action since her knee injury in last year’s state championship game. She scored 24 points and pulled down 12 boards in this wild game. Her finishes around the rim were impressive as she had three And 1’s, but she also hit a huge trey to take a one-point lead in OT. The 6’3 Junior is going to have a big season on a team that should repeat as the 2A State Champions.
Best Offensive Performance (and shoes): O’Mariah Gordon (Braden River)
You really can’t say enough good things about O’Mariah. She was all over the court last night, and it’s no surprise why she was the Florida Gatorade PoY last year. Her stat line consisted of 34 points (12 of 13 from the line), 6 assists, 10 steals, and 4 rebounds. Gordon can score from anywhere with a fantastic jumpshot, crafty moves inside against the bigs, and elite handles to get by any defender. Her 10 steals make it evident that she plays hard on D and flies around everywhere. She plays the game so well, and will have a huge year as an upperclassmen.
Best Defensive Performance: Emani Burks (Florida Prep)
Teams will not want to drive the ball to the hoop against this Florida Prep team, especially with Emani Burks in the lane. She was great on offense too with 12 points and nice mid-range game, but her sheer presence on defense had Julia and O’Mariah adjusting their shots all night long.
Play of the Game: Aleah’s 3 from the corner (Florida Prep)
Down 2 with not much time left in overtime, Shamya Joiner drove the right side of the lane and dished it to an open Aleah Sorrentino who nailed her first 3 of the game from the right corner. This put the nail in the coffin for the Pirates.
Best Intangibles: Shamya Joiner (Florida Prep)
Shamya took home MVP for the Falcons as she was the ultimate X-factor on this team. Her high energy, big blocks, huge charges, and nine points were massive factors in the OT win. She is a sophomore who is coming into her own, and will have a nice year with the level of play, energy, and athleticism she brings to FL Prep.
Best Under-the-radar Performance: Paige McDonald (Florida Prep)
Paige was not a name that many talked about after this game, but she played a big role in this one. She sat at the top of their 1-3-1 zone and was a pest to the guards, making it tough for them to get anything done. You won’t see those stats in the book, but this game wouldn’t have been won without her.
Best Underclassmen: Emma Risch (Florida Prep)
Emma had a tough first half with her shot, but what shooter/scorer hasn’t. Her misses looked good, and they were all right there at the rim. She came out with confidence and range in the 3rd quarter where she scored 18 of her 20 on 6 treys. It’s hard to believe she is only a Freshman with the amount of skill she has from bringing it up the floor to hitting the glass hard. Emma Risch is a top player in the class of 2023, and is set for a ridiculous career in Melbourne.
Best Energy: Julia Rodriguez (Braden River)
The energy we saw from Julia Rodriguez was just plain absurd. A lot of the defensive attention is on O’Mariah, so she uses that to her advantage. She has a beautiful shot, and gets off the floor even for her 3’s. This Braden River team is all over the place on defense led by Julia and her positive intensity.
Best Aspect of the Environment: The Fans (Both Sides)
Preseason is supposed to be a warmup for the season, right? This game had everything you want in a game at any level or in any sport. There were Florida Prep fans, Braden River fans, and just flat out basketball games that were so into this one. It was a blast for an intro into the season for two great teams.
Best Coaching Decision: 1-3-1 Defense (Florida Prep)
It was a struggle to even see some of the Braden River players when Florida Prep was in their 1-3-1 zone. The Falcons are so long at every position, and that’s not just attributed to their height. I can’t imagine there are many other teams in Florida with their size, and they used that to frustrate the much smaller Pirates.