8 Standout Players: Traditional Bank Holiday Classic
We are deep into the Traditional Bank Holiday Classic by this point, and there are plenty of players who have managed to stand out along the way. At this point in a tournament, fatigue has to be taking its toll…
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Continue ReadingWe are deep into the Traditional Bank Holiday Classic by this point, and there are plenty of players who have managed to stand out along the way. At this point in a tournament, fatigue has to be taking its toll on players. Some of been consistently strong throughout despite the wear and tear and some are even having breakout performances on the third day of the tournament. Here are the players who acquitted themselves best on Sunday.
Tiffani Riley, Anderson County- There is certainly something to be said about stopping a team from doing what they want to, and that’s what Riley did on Sunday. It was clear that Wayne County was not a shooting team and wanted to score inside, but Anderson’s sophomore made that difficult all game long. She played solid one-on-one defense whenever the ball was thrown into the post, rejecting numerous shots and altering many others. She also had a good game rebounding, and her defensive perfectionist gave the Lady Bearcats the edge they needed to win.
Marissa Austin, Webster County- It’s one thing to control possessions and score well in the early stages of a game, it’s another thing entirely to take charge in the final minutes of a close game and lead your team to a win. That’s exactly what Austin did against Boone County, taking the ball right down the court for a go-ahead and-1 in the final minute after Boone had taken the lead. This capped off a game of strong scoring and passing to go along with a solid defensive performance for the senior guard.
Dezeray Browder, Webster County- While Austin may have been Webster’s top scorer, Browder wasn’t far behind. They did a great job getting to the rim and score after the Lady Trojans had struggled on the perimeter to start the game. Her inside scoring helped change the momentum of that game, and her strong rebounding and hustle plays played a big part in the Anderson win as well.
Skylar Holder, Boone County- Holder made plays in a number of ways for the Lady Rebels. The junior guard came away with a number of steals, several of which she easily converted into buckets. She also got to the rim consistently, and while she did score for herself, she also made great passes to set up her teammates, showing herself to be a well-rounded playmaker.
Sereniti Webb, Simon Kenton- E-Town center Xaviara Smalley was one of the top players in the tournament the first 2 days, largely thanks to her incredible volume of offensive put-backs. Then she ran into Webb. The sophomore center got a body on Smalley every single play, shutting down what had been a source of free points for E-Town. This, plus her lock-down defense, limited Smalley to just 2 points and 6 rebounds, while Webb pulled down 9 rebounds and had 2 steals. And as a bonus, she scored 8 points of her own and made some nice passes for 2 assists.
Maggie Jones, Simon Kenton- Webb’s contributions may have been all for not if Simon Kenton had been unable to score on a tough E-Town defense. Fortunately, they had Maggi Jones for that. The senior guard created and knocked down her own shots for 20 points, many of them coming at the start of the game to put the Lady Pioneers in control from the start. She then controlled the flow throughout the rest of the game, keeping the ball moving and helping to penetrate the E-Town zone. On the other end, she had a great defensive game, constantly harassing opposing ball-handlers for 4 steals, proving herself to be a great performer across the board.
Aziah Campbell, Paul Laurence Dunbar- One of only 2 players to make this list on all 3 days of the tournament so far, Campbell again deserves recognition for her performance today, even in a loss. Campbell combined her defensive thus far superb defense with her best shooting game yet, knocking down several 3’s en route to a tournament-high 15 points. She also played the best defense one could expect on Shelby Calhoun, preventing her from scoring at will while coming up with 3 steals and a block. Even though her team lost, Campbell proved that she’s a gamer.
Shelby Calhoun, Christian Academy-Louisville- The other player to make this list all 3 days, it is obvious that Calhoun has plenty of skill. The senior had a beautiful box score with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals. She got the hoop and scored on offense, pulled down board after board, and threw incredible outlet passes off of her numerous rebounds and steals. She also locked down Dunbar standout Elise Ellison-Coons on defense to round out the best overall performance of the tournament so far.