Prospect Watch: No. 4 Woodward Academy vs. North Clayton
Gateway Center Arena was in upset alert on Tuesday as North Clayton (7-7) led No. 4 Woodward Academy 21-5 to open the game but the War Eagles (15-1) answered with a 21-1 run to take a brief lead before entering…
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Continue ReadingGateway Center Arena was in upset alert on Tuesday as North Clayton (7-7) led No. 4 Woodward Academy 21-5 to open the game but the War Eagles (15-1) answered with a 21-1 run to take a brief lead before entering the half down 28-27. The tug of war continued in the second half as Woodward Academy busted open the game with another large run, this time 19-5 to take a 46-33 lead after three, but North Clayton sparked a 7-0 spurt to cut the lead to six with 5:32 remaining. Woodward Academy saw star sophomore Sydney Bowles score 10 of her game-high 32 points in the fourth quarter to ignite an 11-3 stretch that put the scrappy Eagles away for good, 60-51.
Here are some individuals that stood out.
Woodward Academy
2022 6-0 G Sydney Bowles
A five-star prospect averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.9 steals, Bowles powered the War Eagles with 32 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. She is a big guard in every sense of the word, physical and with the capability to play all five positions on the floor. Bowles is very skilled and can create her own fast breaks off rebounds. She is good at creating space off the dribble and loves to shoot from the perimeter and mid-range. Though she is a very good shooter, sometimes she can fall a little too in love with her jump shot and get away from attacking the basket. Bowles is not as explosive as other elite guards, her one area of potential weakness at the next level. She doesn’t get the rim as often or as easily as she will need to in college. With that being said, Bowles is still a handful to slow down. She is the head of the snake for Woodward Academy and is on her way to a historic career and a long future playing high level basketball.
2021 5-5 G Kai Lanier
It was Kai Lanier off the bench who sparked the War Eagles after a sluggish 21-5 hole. She drained a three late in the first quarter then followed with an early bucket in the second to ignite Woodward’s 21-1 run. Lanier is small but she packs a punch. She is non-stop all over the floor, mixing it up with players that tower over her. Lanier’s motor is most apparent on the defensive side of the floor. She averages 12.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.9 steals per game. On Tuesday, she chipped in 13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals. The daughter of Georgia State Men’s Head Coach Rob Lanier, Kai understands how to standout as an undersized guard with her toughness and energy.
2023 6-1 F Sara Lewis
The size that Sara Lewis possesses doesn’t look like that of a freshman. Lewis has a sturdy build but is nimble for her size. She had 9 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks. Lewis isn’t a traditional post that anchors herself on the low block. She attacks off the dribble and gets to the basket well. Lewis is a good-looking prospect to track over the next four years.
2022 6-1 F MacKenzie Moring
The length is the first thing that stands out when you see Moring. She looked young against North Clayton but to have her size and her mobility, things will fall into place if she continues to work hard. She averages 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks. Moring posted 1 point, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks on Tuesday. She proved that she could positively impact the game without scoring. Her jump shot and free throw shooting will need work. The lefty shoots a flat ball with a bit of an unorthodox delivery.
North Clayton
2020 5-7 PG Si’Tra Newton
Recently declared eligible, the transfer from Creekside brings a lead-dog mentality to the North Clayton backcourt. Newton is tough with the ball. She has a smooth effortless handle and can breeze past presses. Couple her ball skills along with her compact physical frame and you have a player that can do damage once she gets in the paint. Newton filled the stat sheet vs. Woodward Academy with 13 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 1 block.
2021 6-0 W T’mya Parker
Another player with great length, Parker has long legs and covers a ton of ground when she gets moving, making her a valuable defender. Averaging 13.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 2 blocks, Parker is a swiss army knife for Coach Fred Hill. She didn’t have her best game against Woodward Academy, but she is a rangy prospect to keep an eye on. She finished with 7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block.
2021 5-11 PF Ollicia Kennedy
Willing to do the dirty work inside and clear out some space with her elbows when needed, Ollicia Kennedy showcased her nose for the ball against Woodward Academy’s big frontcourt. Kennedy scratched and clawed her way to 8 points and 15 rebounds. She competed for every carom and finished layups.