Battle of The Groves: Cedar Grove vs. Miller Grove
Cedar Grove hosted Thursday night action against Miller Grove, both of DeKalb county. The Lady Wolverines, who have struggled to start, came in looking to give the Lady Saints their second loss on the season. With the Saints football team…
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Continue ReadingCedar Grove hosted Thursday night action against Miller Grove, both of DeKalb county. The Lady Wolverines, who have struggled to start, came in looking to give the Lady Saints their second loss on the season. With the Saints football team wrapping up their GHSA chase for a second straight state championship, this is likely the last Thursday night game of the season for Cedar Grove.
I was able to see a few pretty good prospects in the matchup. Cedar Grove is off to a great 5-1 start this season in large part due to an aggressive backport and hardworking post players. Miller Grove, while a very high effort team that competes until the final buzzer, is off to a 2-8 start. Cedar Grove came away with the win by a score of 58-38. Here are a few players that I liked on both teams.
Cedar Grove
Ji’Pan Bailey | PG | 5’4 | 2020
The senior point guard played with great poise on both ends of the floor. She is the type of player that pays attention to detail and takes pride in doing the little things. She did very well getting her team into sets and showed good IQ when identifying mismatches. She also picked her spots well knowing when to be aggressive on offense and get her own shot. She is great as an on-ball defender and vocally directs traffic when she is off the ball. There were several fast-break opportunities that were stopped because of her defensive effort. Bailey finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.
Johnson shot 7 for 7 from the line against Miller Grove.Rickayla Johnson | CG | 5’6 | 2022
A young and confident guard, Johnson did a little of everything on the floor. She can play either of the guard positions which Coach Wyche of Cedar Grove took full advantage of. She can score the ball at every level and is a shot creator when the ball is in her hands. I was very impressed with her willingness to pass when handling point guard responsibilities as well. She ended with a double-double of 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists. She also came away with 3 steals using some very active defense. She will be on our watchlist as we continue to add players to our 2022 rankings.
Easterly is a forward to keep an eye on.Lelah Easterly | F | 5’9 | 2021
Easterly was the most intriguing player on the floor. With her height and athleticism, it was easy to see that she would have an impact on the game from the tip. She showed good skill in the post area with quick elevation on her jump shots within in the painted area. She was also a tenacious rebounder and defender. Even with sitting in the 3rd quarter and much of the 4th, she finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 steals.
Miller Grove
Berry, in black, looks for a lane in transitionMaya Berry | F | 5’9 | 2020
The senior forward showed great leadership the entire game. From the beginning of the game, Berry showed her understanding of the game making great passes against heavy pressure to beat Cedar Grove’s press. In the half-court, she made good decisions with the ball. Although she struggled to convert, she found herself at the free-throw line quite often, shooting a total of 10 foul shots, due to her aggressive drives to the basket. She finished with 9 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
Jalisha Mann | PG | 5’6 | 2021
Mann showed very good tempo and ball handling throughout the game. She often times was able to break the press single-handedly. She showed the ability to make some tough finishes and get to the free-throw line. She had good form on her three-point attempts but had an off night. Her quick feet and hands on defense helped her come up with multiple steals. Mann finished with 6 points, 3 steals, 2 assists, and 3 rebounds.
Cedar Grove has a chance to put together a great season. Coach Wyche is excited about the potential of this group and believes that with hard work and consistency they will see the fruits of their labor in a positive way. I believe that they are for sure a playoff team and could make a deep run this year in the AAA State Playoffs.