The 10 Best: No. 8 Alexander vs. Douglas County
Last Saturday’s matchup between No. 8 Alexander (13-2, 8-1) and Douglas County (9-6, 5-3) was a big game for both sides, especially Alexander who was looking to avenge their 54-49 loss in their first meeting, their only Region 5-AAAAAA defeat.…
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Continue ReadingLast Saturday’s matchup between No. 8 Alexander (13-2, 8-1) and Douglas County (9-6, 5-3) was a big game for both sides, especially Alexander who was looking to avenge their 54-49 loss in their first meeting, their only Region 5-AAAAAA defeat. For Douglas County, it was a chance to prove they were still a threat to win the region even with the graduation of Amari Robinson (Clemson). Alexander led 15-13 after the first quarter and used a 15-1 run in the second quarter to grow a 30-18 halftime lead which carried into a 43-33 lead after three quarters but in the fourth, Douglas County woke up. In the end, it was too little, too late for the Tigers as their comeback bid fell short 55-51. Here are the 10 Best I saw in Douglasville.
1. MVP: 2020 6-0 C Aaliyah Foxx-Rome (Alexander)
A transfer from North Paulding, the physical beast that also excels at the shot put was too big inside for Douglas County to slow down. Foxx-Rome posted 19 points, 13 rebounds, 1 steal and 3 blocks. She was steady throughout and carried the Cougars through dry patches. She scored six points in the fourth quarter to help stave off Douglas County’s furious rally. Foxx-Rome can score with both hands and likes to drop step into the middle of the paint to get to her right hand over her left shoulder and can absorb contact when she gets off her shot. For college teams looking for a big body that loves to mix it up and live on the glass, Foxx-Rome is a surefire prospect, especially at the D-II level.
2. Best guard: 2021 5-2 PG Alana Gibbs (Douglas County)
The smallest guard on the floor was arguably the best in Alana Gibbs. Short with a strong build, Gibbs gave Alexander problems by being able to slice her way into the lane or pull up on a dime to get to her sweet spot at the elbow. Gibbs’ mid-range game allows her to be effective when pulling up short before hitting the teeth of the defense. When she did decide to take it all the way to the rack, she drew fouls going 4-4 from the line. Gibbs finished with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 1 block.
3. Best offensive performance: Alexander
Not one player can get this recognition as the Cougars shared the ball extremely well especially during the first half when they took control of the game. As a team, the Cougs recorded 14 assists led by Kimberly Lawson’s 6 and Abby Crawford’s 4. Inside it was Aaliyah Foxx-Rome who dominated around the basket while the perimeter play was spread out.
4. Best defensive performance: 2020 6-0 C Aaliyah Foxx-Rome (Alexander)
Not only did Foxx-Rome score around the basket, she shut down driving lanes and altered shots. Her 3 blocks led Alexander. She went body to body with 6-foot-3 Raven Mitchell and held her to 2 points. Offense, defense, Aaliyah Foxx-Rome was on the top of her game.
Two big bodies going at it in the low post. @AaliyahFoxxRome wins this round with Raven Mitchell. pic.twitter.com/0yY7Y3xTK5
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 4, 2020
5. Best girl off the bench: 2021 6-1 C Kayla Brown (Alexander)
A long 6-foot-1 post presence, Kayla Brown came off the bench and provided good minutes around the rim. While she is not as polished yet as Foxx-Rome, Brown brings a strategy-changing length that can discombobulate smaller teams. When Alexander chooses to play the twin towers, the Cougars are extremely tough to score on. On offense, she finished well on her dump off looks with 6 points. Brown draws attention with her size and makes defenses account for her which can open up offensive rebounding opportunities for the Cougar guards when they crash.
6. Best intangibles: 2020 5-4 PG Kimberly Lawson (Alexander)
Lawson was all over the floor with her quickness and floor general demeanor. She showed she could push the ball up the floor and get her teammates in scoring spots. She stuffed the stat sheet with 5 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals.
End 1Q
No. 8 @alx_gbasketball 15@DCGirlsBasketb1 13@zipkaay with a late bucket. @alanasanceria has carried @dcambush with 8 points. pic.twitter.com/uvWjoEKxIn— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 4, 2020
7. Best under-the-radar performance: 2020 5-10 W Nya Jackson (Alexander)
Nya Jackson was efficient from her wing position. She went 7-8 from the foul line and knocked down a three to finish with 10 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist.
8. Best underclassmen: 2022 5-8 W Taylor Caldwell (Douglas County)
Caldwell didn’t play her best game offensively, but she has a projectable build and mobility that reminds me of a smaller version of Amari Robinson. The sophomore needs to be more aggressive and find an identity on offense. Caldwell had 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Next year will be her time to improve upon her 4.2 point-per-game average.
9. Best passer: 2021 5-8 G Abby Crawford (Alexander)
Sharing the ball helped Alexander take a big lead heading into the second half. Abby Crawford was a key cog in the Cougars’ ball movement. With the ability to play positions 1-3, Crawford spent time on and off the ball. When she did have the ball, she displayed impressive court vision and fit in tight passes in traffic. She had 8 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal.
2Q; 3:53
No. 8 @alx_gbasketball 28@DCGirlsBasketb1 14Cougars have the Tigers on the ropes.
Another pretty @AbbyCrawford21 pass leads to a Kayla Brown layup. @AyoCoachDal pic.twitter.com/5h3eSpbict
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 5, 2020
10. Best scorer: 2020 5-9 SG Dy’mon Cook (Douglas County)
The Tuskegee-commit struggled in the first half but finished with a team-high 15 points and 8 rebounds, catching fire in the fourth quarter with nine points. Cook is a wiry guard that is always hunting her shot. She plays with an attitude and a chip on her shoulder. She hushed the crowd every time she made a free throw, even when Douglas County was down big. She did what she had to do to get herself going. In the second half her looks started dropping and her energy became contagious during the Tigers’ comeback bid.