Game Forum: St. Thomas Aquinas vs Blanche Ely
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I headed over to Fort Lauderdale to watch St. Thomas Aquinas take on Blanche Ely in the regional semifinals of the Class 6A state tournament. The Lady Raiders would go on to win, 57-53. 2022 Michiyah Simmons Michiyah Simmons 5'8"…
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Continue ReadingI headed over to Fort Lauderdale to watch St. Thomas Aquinas take on Blanche Ely in the regional semifinals of the Class 6A state tournament. The Lady Raiders would go on to win, 57-53. 2022 Michiyah Simmons Michiyah Simmons 5'8" | PG Blanche Ely | 2022 State FL missed a deep three with seconds remaining that would have tied the game at 56. St. Thomas Aquinas beat Blanche Ely by a combined nine points in three meetings this season. The No.1 seed Raiders will face No. 2 seed Seminole Ridge in the regional final. This was a state championship atmosphere that unfortunately someone had to lose.
Quick takes:
I thought Ely hurt itself with turnovers in the first quarter and on the defensive glass. An extra possession for Ely and away from the Raiders and the Tigers might have walked away with a victory. Aquinas hit seven 3-pointers to the Tigers’ three.
Score breakdown:
STA 18 – ELY 9 – 1st Quarter
STA 28 – ELY 24 – 2nd Quarter
ELY 39 – STA 38 – 3rd Quarter
STA 57 – ELY 53 – 4th quarter
Standouts:
I thought 2022 Jada Green Jada Green 6'0" | PF St. Thomas Aquinas | 2022 State FL was the best player on the floor tonight. Why? The 6-foot forward hit two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Big-time players come up with big-time plays with the game and season on the line. Green was a three-level scorer and finished with 15 points. Her length was also a problem on defense. She is a University of Richmond signee.
2022 Alancia Ramsey Alancia Ramsey 6'0" | PF St Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL overcame first half foul trouble with a big third quarter. The 6-foot-1 forward was strong on the offensive glass and had at least nine boards overall. Ramsey used her size and toughness to crash the boards. In addition, she was able to score off putbacks due to her rebounding or was fouled. Overall, this gave St. Thomas Aquinas points off second chance opportunities. Ramsey finished with ten points.
2022 Michiyah Simmons Michiyah Simmons 5'8" | PG Blanche Ely | 2022 State FL gave it her all for Blanche Ely. The 5-foot-8 point guard had 17 points and a pair of 3-pointers. I thought Simmons was aggressive with the ball in her hands in the fourth quarter. The Tigers’ captain attacked the rim using her quickness and hit perimeter shots. Simmons played like a senior leader in the final minutes. She showed tremendous effort to the final second of her career.
2022 Zaria Blake Zaria Blake 6'0" | SF Blanche Ely | 2022 State FL did a good job scoring around the paint for Blanche Ely. The 6-foot-1 wing used her length and touch to finish with nine points. 2022 Mya Kone Mya Kone 6'1" | SF Blanche Ely | 2022 State FL was good defensively with at least six boards and a pair of blocks. I thought the 6-foot-2 forward left a few buckets off the board on drives to the lane and lay-ins near the rim. A conversion or two here could have been big. Regardless, Kone showcased her skill and athleticism from my vantage point.
2022 Karina Gordon Karina Gordon 5'8" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL was a early star for St. Thomas Aquinas. The 5-foot-9 point guard scored ten of her 11 points in the first half and hit two 3-pointers. In addition, one of Green’s buckets was a nice baseline jumper. 2022 Maya Williams Maya Williams 5'6" | CG St Thomas Aquinas | 2022 State FL had ten points and was clutch on the free-throw line. 2023 Breanna Gustave Breanna Gustave 5'7" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2022 State FL did a good job as a rebounding guard and 2023 Reina Green Reina Green 5'10" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL hit two 3-pointers.
2024 Laketrice Peterson Laketrice Peterson 6'2" | CG Blanche Ely | 2024 State FL did an excellent job on the glass. The 5-foot-10 center had at least five rebounds and seven points overall. Peterson grabbed multiple offensive boards during one sequence and ended up on the free-throw line. Overall, she had the frame to control the paint in stretches. Fellow sophomore Janessa Kelley Janessa Kelley 5'9" | SG Blanche Ely | 2024 State FL added nine points.
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