Lebanon Holiday Tourney Wrap Up
The Lebanon Holiday tourney was another exciting event that concluded in a highly anticipated championship game. The fact that the tourney was played was something to be happy about. After making it to state just two years back, Lebanon was…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe Lebanon Holiday tourney was another exciting event that concluded in a highly anticipated championship game. The fact that the tourney was played was something to be happy about. After making it to state just two years back, Lebanon was not able to field a team this year due to lack of interest. But, Lebanon AD Chad Cruthis was able to secure the Greenville JV to step in and take the open spot to allow the tourney to move forward as planned.
The championship game featured the top 2 seeds, number 2 Greenville and number 1 Father McGivney. Greenville has had a slower start than may have been anticipated and Father McGivney a bit of a faster start than anticipated. So, it was an excellent match up. One is used to being the hunted and took on the “under dog” role and one used to be the “under dog” was now the hunted. A good test for both. Father McGivney had control through much of the first half but Greenville stayed close, in part because of the shooting of Rylee Pickett. Greenville’s defense controlled the second half with the help of Megan Hallemann controlling the paint. In the end, despite a big 21 point night from Madison Webb, Father McGivney could not score enough in the second half and Greenville took the championship 43-34.
There were many players that stood out throughout the event, here are the girls that made the All Tourney Team:
- Megan Hallemann is a 6’4 2020 post from Greenville. Megan continues to show her defensive ability for the Lady Comets. She uses her length very well to alter and block shots in the lane. It allows the rest of the team to be more aggressive on the wings in the zone knowing that Megan is behind them. Her strength and offensive game are still improving but she is certainly a project that most college coaches would love to have. Megan averaged 10 points, 9 boards and 6 blocks for the tourney, but finished with a triple double in the championship game going for 10 points, 15 boards and 10 blocks.
- Rylee Pickett is a 5’6 2020 guard from Greenville. Rylee continues to show off her ability to score. She is best at the catch and shoot 3, but has improved her ability to score off the bounce. She is tasked with being more of a lead guard this year and has shown the ability to handle pressure in that role. Rylee kept her team in the game in the championship with 11 first half points and then hit some big shots down the stretch.
- Natalie Iberg is a 5’9 2021 wing from Greenville. Natalie has always been known as an athlete. I have sung her praises many times in my columns telling my readers, if her basketball ability catches up to her freakish athletic ability then you better watch out. Well, it is not there yet, but she has made strides. Natalie averaged 10 points per game in the tourney and is showing signs of breaking out.
- Madison Webb is a 5’10 2020 forward from Father McGivney. Madison scored 14 points per game for the tourney but saved her biggest games for the last two. She has dealt with unfortunate injury situations to start the last two seasons, but when she is healthy she is a threat. Madison has improved her range on her shot but makes her money in the paint against bigger players. She showed no willingness to back down against the 6’4 Hallemann in the championship game and that is why she succeeds. Madison has the heart and desire to go along with her ability and those things combined make her a potential valuable addition to a small school program.
- Anna McKee is a 5’8 2021 wing from Father McGivney. Anna did not have her best shooting tourney which led to her only scoring at a pace of 8 per game. But, this selections shows the value that she brings to the Lady Griffins beyond scoring. Anna has long arms, great anticipation and quickness that cause her to be excellent at the top of their 1-2-2 defense. Coach Oller will run it as a press and also drop into it just in the half court, no matter how he deploys it, Anna is a terror at the top.
- Ashlyn Wrightman is a 6ft 2020 post from Waterloo Gibault. Ashlyn scored 15 per game and brought down 10 rebounds per game during the tourney. She is very good in the lane on offense and defense. She uses her height and long arms to get clean looks on offense and affect shots on defense.
- Emily Smith and Bree Portz of Marissa were named to the All Tourney team. Smith is a 2021 guard and Portz is a 2022 guard. This dynamic duo has been lighting the scoreboards up for Marissa the last two years. This tourney was no different as Portz scored 16 per game and Smith 12. Smith also had 5 steals per game and Portz 4 assists. Both girls can hit the 3-point shot but make their money in the lane and mid range.
- Aryn Henke and Karsen Jany of Columbia also made the All Tourney team. Henke is a 2020 guard and the leader of the team as their point guard. She is the most experienced player that returned for Coach Germain but unfortunately went down with an ankle sprain in the opening tourney. This was her first action since then. Aryn handles the ball well and can really push it up the floor in transition. Once she gets back in full form she should be scoring in double figures most every night. Jany is a 5’9 2023 wing that has really stepped up in Henke’s absence. She scored 9 points per game in the tourney and hit 8 threes. Karsen has a scorers mentality and is not afraid to take her shots. She is going to be good one for the Lady Eagles before she is done.
This was an exciting tourney filled with quality 1A and 2A programs. I am excited to follow them through the end of the season and she who can make a run at tourney time.