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CHARLESTON WV- All eyes were on Charleston last week for the 40th edition of the WVSSAC girls High School basketball tournament. Tournament officials in West Virginia have always does a good job of providing a top-notch, well run, classy event. Ongoing construction on the 45-year-old structure certainly provided the Charleston Civic Center staff with plenty of challenges during the four day event, but the powers at be pulled it off with very few glitches.

For four days, 24 teams battled their way down to six in the Charleston Civic Center culminating in an intriguing storyline that can best be described as; A Tale of Three Basketball Teams.

On one hand you had in Class A, the heavily favored St. Joseph Central (Huntington).  The Irish were looking for a record-tying eighth straight West Virginia State title. Although Gilmer County is a well-coached, hardworking crew, few would think that they could slay the Goliath that was St. Joseph Central…which is why we play the game.

Secondly, in Class AA you had the upstart Wyoming Warriors, a young and extremely talented team led by one of the best players in West Virginia, Gabby Lupardus. Could Fairmont Senior’s patented pressure defense take Lupardus and crew out of their game?

Finally, and by no means least, in Class AAA, a determined Morgantown team came to Charleston looking for the Three-Peat. Would the Mohigans hard-nosed, bareknuckle style of defense hold up against the speed and pressure of the mission focused Huntington Highlanders?

The following is a round-by-round look at all the action in Charleston this past weekend.

QUARTERFINALS BOX SCORES   

Class AA

(3) Fairmont Senior- 63

(6) North Marion- 47

FS- Abby Stoller- 16, Angela DeLorenzo- 14, Anysa Jordan- 13

NM- Megan Haller- 15, Pressley Tuttle- 10

Class AAA

(2) Huntington-                 80

(7) Buckhannon-Upshur- 59

HUN- Jordyn Dawson- 33, Dazha Congleton- 16, Lexi Sheffield- 12

BUK- Hanna McClung- 17, Lauren Bennett- 13

Class AA

(2) Lincoln- 50

(7) Grafton- 59

LCN- Hope Bray- 18

GRF- Siera Gabbert- 18, Kaelyn Drainer- 15, Ally Peters- 15

Class AA 

(1) Wyoming East- 64

(8) Tolsia- 44

WYE- Gabby Lupardus-16, Emily Saunders-12

TOL- Dena Jarrells- 26

Class AAA

(1) Morgantown- 55

(8) Spring Valley- 30

MGTN- Lydia Adrian- 18, Paige Poffenberger- 13, Sydney Holloway- 11

SV- Karlee Alderman- 10

Class AA

(4) Sissonville- 47

(5) Summers County- 45

SVL- Karli Pinkerton- 14, Madison Jones- 13

SC- Brittney Justice- 18, Morgan Miller- 10

QUARTERFINALS BOX SCORES

Class A

(3) Tucker County- 29

(6) Notre Dame- 51

TUC- Sydney Nestor- 12

ND- Hannah Griffith- 18

Class AAA

(4) Parkersburg South- 79

(5) Martinsburg- 37

PBS- Katelyn Byrd- 24, Anna Hayton- 23

MAR- Ciera Hertelendy- 13

Class A

(2) Gilmer County- 61

(7) Fayetteville- 42

GIL- Riley Fitzwater- 23, Kylie Shuff- 17

FAY-  Kendall Malay- 12

Class A

(1) St. Joseph Central- 71

(8) Richwood- 24

SJC- Alexis Hall- 20, Errin Kay- 12

RIC- Erica Lawrence- 9

Class AAA

(3) South Charleston- 47

(6) George Washington- 52

SCHA- Lavender Ward- 15, Aaliyah Dunham-12, Rhea Smith-10

GW- Shionna Banks- 27 (19 Reb), Jessica Lowen- 10

Class A

(4) St. Mary’s- 59

(5) Madonna- 36

STM- Ashley Hall- 15, Jordan Fox- 12, Jenna Nichols- 10

MAD- Monica Bragg- 14

QUICK HITTERS – QUARTER FINALS

CLASS A

Hope Bray – 2017 – 5’9” – G – Lincoln – Quick ball handler… Attacks the hoop hard and gets to the line… Scorer’s mentality… Plays hard on both ends

CLASS AA

Dena Jarrells – 2019 – 5-4 – Guard – Tolsia – One of the best all-around players in the tournament… An intense competitor… Has deep 3-point range… Every ball handling skill there is, no one is taking the ball from her

Brittney Justice – 2017 – 5-9 – Guard – Summers County – Hang time that she uses to move the ball from defender… Good outside shot… Gets down the lane to score… Her moves keep defenders on their heels

CLASS AAA

Aaliyah Dunham – 2017 – 5-3 – Guard – South Charleston – Athletic, has all the tools… Capable of getting her shot pretty much when she wants to… Still needs to develop the maturity to come to play every game

SEMIFINALS

Class AA

(3) Fairmont Senior- 76

(7) Grafton- 58

FMS- Erica Bowles- 20, Abby Stoller- 11, Anysa Jordan- 10

GRA- Ally Peters- 13, Kaelyn Drainer- 13, Siera Gabbert- 13

It is always fun to see Fairmont Senior play defense.  Their seemingly never-ending pressure really takes a toll on their opponent. Their semifinal game was no different and from the tip there were Polar Bear bodies everywhere.  They were in the passing lanes, rushing to get ahead of ball handlers and getting on the floor, often accompanied by a Lady Cat player or two.

The Polar Bears forced 25 Grafton turnovers resulting in 23 Fairmont Senior points. The Polar Bears also had 15 more total rebounds (46) than the Lady Cats.  The difference was noticeable in offensive rebounds where Fairmont Senior held a 28-11 advantage.

The rumbling amongst the 1,000 plus people in attendance at the CCC was the fouls.  A total of 96 free throws were shot in this contest, a new state tournament record. Grafton shot 36-50 (72%) with 19 attempts in the first half and 31 in the second half.  Fairmont was 36-46 shooting 15 in the first and 31 in the second half connecting on 78%. Sadly, there didn’t seem to be a conscientious effort on the part of the Lady Cats to get back into the game, a point noticeable by the total number of free throws attempted being close to even. Additionally, in the post-game press conference, Grafton coach Andrew Moore stated that fouling to stop the clock was not his goal even though the Fairmont Senior’s 22 point fourth quarter lead was cut to 12 with 1:48 to go.

Class A

(2) Gilmer County- 47

(6) Notre Dame- 44

GIL- Riley Fitzwater- 16, Kylie Shuff- 14, Mackenzie Huff- 11

ND- Clare Cistaro- 15, Hannah Griffith- 14

Both teams played nervous through most of the first half with neither the Fighting Irish or the Titans getting their number one option going. Notre Dame’s senior point guard Hannah Griffith hit only 2 of 11 field goal attempts in the first half while Gilmer County 6’3” junior post player Riley Fitzwater made 5 field goals but only had 6 shots against the much smaller Fighting Irish defenders.

The second half was more of the same.  Notre Dame out hustled the Titans and even made a run at the but the yield was not quite what the Fighting Irish were hoping for. Each time Griffith, a 5’11” slasher, and the other Fighting Irish players attacked the hoop, Fitzwater was there patrolling the paint for Gilmer County.

Good thing the Titan’s defense was working because as ineffective as Notre Dame’s offense was, Gilmer County was struggling just as bad. Gilmer County shot a miserable 10 of 31 from the free throw line and had 20 turnovers. That left openings for the Fighting Irish, who took advantage thanks to two 3-point field goals by Clare Cistaro. The Fighting Irish closed a 10 point fourth quarter deficit to 1 with 30 seconds to go. With 20 seconds remaining, the Titans’ Kylie Shuff hit one of two free throws to give Gilmer County a 46-44 lead.  Cistaro missed a three, and Fitzwater was fouled. One of two free throws later and the Fighting Irish still had a chance to tie. A three-point attempt by Rachel Rogers was fittingly blocked by Fitzwater, who rebounded the block and preserved the victory for the Titans.

Riley Fitzwater finished with 16 points, 23 rebounds, 7 blocks and the Titans defense held the Lady Irish to 16 of 60 shooting for the game.

Class AA

(1) Wyoming East- 51

(4) Sissonville- 46

WYE- Gabby Lupardus-20, Emily Saunders- 10

SSV- Karli Pinkerton- 16, Brooke Reed- 13

Wednesday evening in Charleston, Wyoming East’s Gabby Lupardus and Tolsia’s Dena Jarrells put on a girl’s high school basketball show. Jarrells may have won that battle with 26 points but with 16 points, Lupardus won the war in a victory that put the Warriors into the semi-final Friday afternoon.

Today’s co-star was the real life Energizer Bunny: Karli Pinkerton of the Sissonville Indians. Like Lupardus and Jarrells Wednesday, Pinkerton and Lupardus put on a show early in this one. The pair seemed to trade “H-O-R-S-E” type shots that drew plenty of gasps, moans and cheers from the Civic Center crowd.

Despite the first half show we were all treated to, the two-fold game changers for the Warriors were first; the job Wyoming East’s zone defense did on Sissonville’s do everything, last second shot hitting Monica Jones. The 5’3” senior guard Jones was held 15 points under her season average of 18 points per game, but by far the big reason the Warriors took this AA semi-final was Emily Saunders… the 6’4” freshman center may not have had the best offensive stats but she definitely made a big difference on how the Warriors were able to slow the Indian’s attack, all the time offense.

When Saunders got in foul trouble after picking up her 3rd foul with 6:08 left in the second quarter, Sissonville relentlessly attacked the hoop and putting the Warriors back on their heels. The Indians efforts rallied them to a 26-23 halftime lead.

In the second half, Saunders, who finished with 10 points, 18 rebounds (15 in the second half) and 3 blocks, all of them in the second half, was able to curtail her foul trouble thus becoming a huge presence in the paint, keeping the Indians from the basket.

Class AAA 

(1) Morgantown- 57

(4) Parkersburg South- 49

MGTN- Paige Poffenberger- 14, Rachel Laskody-14, Sydney Holloway- 13

PBS- Anna Hayton- 14, Devin Hefner- 10

These two AAA heavyweights are used to meeting under different circumstances… They have met for the AAA state championship the past two seasons with Morgantown walking away with back-to-back titles.

As it has been lately, the Mohigans came away with a hard fought victory in this fast paced affair. Morgantown’s trademark stifling defense forced 24 Patriot turnovers accounting for 25 Morgantown points, compared to the 11 points that Parkersburg South received from the Mohigans 15 turnovers.

Parkersburg South’s senior standout Anna Hayton who has played deep into this tournament her whole career, fouled out of this one with 1:48 to go and the Patriots down 3. The 6’2” Hayton ended her stellar Parkersburg South career with 14 points and 6 rebounds.

Class A 

(1) St. Joseph Central- 47

(4) St. Mary’s- 43

SJC- Tyesha Taylor- 17

SM- Jordan Fox- 21, Ashley Hall- 15

St. Mary’s came into this second Class A semi-final set on looking to avenge some of their past state tournament frustration with the Irish. The Blue Devils wanted nothing more than to crash the Irish’s quest for an eight-peat, but early on St. Joseph Central was firmly in the process of methodically taking down a game Blue Devil crew.

Leading 15-9 at the end of one, 29-20 at the half and then came that avenge stuff… St. Mary’s started to attack St. Joseph’s pressure and forced them into the half-court game the Blue Devils wanted. The Irish foul total continued to mount and the Blue Devils made hay while the clock was stopped. St. Mary’s made 13 of 16 free throws in the second half, and although St. Joseph Central shot more (19), the Irish only sank 10 of them.

In the end though, St. Joseph Central was able to keep their hopes of an eight-peat alive by isolating the advantage that 5’9” junior forward Tyesha Taylor gave the Irish. Taylor is a skilled handful on the block, but because of her one-on-one abilities, may be better used at the top of the key. That is exactly what coach Shannon Lewis told his team during a time-out. Taylor scored 12 of her team high 17 in the second half and 8 of the Irish’s 10 total fourth quarter points to secure victory for St. Joseph Central.

Class AAA 

(2) Huntington  – 53

(6) George Washington- 27

HUN- Jordyn Dawson- 16, Lexi Sheffield- 12, Ericka Budd- 11, Dazha Congleton- 10

GW- Shionna Banks- 12

Huntington Highlanders appeared to be on a mission at the WVSSAC State Girls Basketball Tournament and that mission is to end Morgantown High’s reign as Girl’s AAA champions. The road to that ultimate goal led through a solid George Washington team that is powered by 6’3 sophomore forward Shionna Banks. Banks plays determined, is aware of everything that is going on around her and has the skill set to put all of these intangibles together and dominate.

Unfortunately for Banks, this Huntington Highlander group is a guard oriented, quick, full court pressure team. They are led by junior Jordyn Dawson and 5’9” senior guard Dazha Congleton. The 5’10” Dawson is listed as the Highlander’s center in the program but that’s not a true description of where she plays. A better position description is that Dawson plays; EVERYWHERE! She’s all over the place and excels at every role she embraces. Offensively Dawson scores on the break, from in the paint, facing up from the wing and taking jump shots from the foul line. Defensively, she triggers Huntington’s trademark pressure. Her quick hands are usually involved in the crucial trap that forces opponent’s turnovers.

The other half of the Huntington duo, Dazha Congleton is fast and quick. She also is a big part of everything the Highlanders do. A natural scorer with great defensive instincts, Congleton and the rest of the Huntington pressure blitzed the Patriots for 36 turnovers (one short of a state tournament record) and 8 of 36 (22%) from the field, far too much for a young George Washington team to overcome.

QUICK HITTERS SEMI FINAL 

CLASS A

Hannah Griffith – 2016 – 6-0 – Point Guard – Notre Dame – Plays every position while on the court… Solid handle and smooth with the ball… Attacks the hoop hard… Finishes well… Good range on her jump shot

Ashley Hall – 2016 – 5-10 – Guard/Forward – St. Mary’s – Solid lefty… Has to play bigger than she is… Has guard skills… Gets up and down quickly with the ball or without… Good perimeter range.

CLASS AA

Karli Pinkerton – 2016 – 5-5 – Guard – Sissonville – Fearless… Attacks the lane and finds the hoop… Controls the game… Has a motor that doesn’t stop… Great clutch foul shooter.

Mikayla Long – 2018 – 5-6 – Guard – Sissonville – Good ball handler and shooter… Scrappy, always around the action… Plays big in big games… Solid guard skills… Shoots the 3 well.

Ally Peters – 2018 – 5-6 – Guard – Grafton – Natural scoring instincts… Moves well… Quick hands… Solid range

CLASS AAA

Anna Hayton – 2016 – 6-2 – Forward – Parkersburg South – Big and strong…Moves well…Good scoring touch inside…  Solid post moves, especially to baseline side

Shionna Banks – 2017 – 6-2 – Forward – George Washington –  Determined…Big and strong presence inside…Great hands, keeps them high…Catches most balls thrown to her…Moves well for her size…Must game plan to slow her down

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

Class AA

(1) Wyoming East- 54

(3) Fairmont Senior- 26

WYO- Kara Sandy- 17, Gabby Lupardus- 17

FSH- Abby Stoller- 11

Something didn’t seem right about this game and it took a few trips to figure out what it was. First Fairmont Senior’s trademark pressure was nowhere to be found. The question at hand was if the Polar Bears would be able to control the fabulous Gabby Lupardus, who had been burning up the Civic Center courts in two previous games. Secondly, it seemed odd that Lupardus was dishing more and shooting less. There was no taking the ball to the hoop, hanging in the air and laying the ball off the glass with that George Gervin type finger-roll.  Despite the “missing” elements, there was a still a game going on.

After a slow start Fairmont Senior called a timeout. The Polar Bears settled down and actually took an 8-7 lead. That was it, however as the Warriors of Wyoming East played the “team” game from that point on.  They got production from everyone, or so it seemed. The Warriors played seven players through the bulk of this one and by early in the third, 6 of their 7 had scored. Kara Sandy, a 5’10” sophomore guard took the Warriors into the locker room with 14 points and a 28-17 lead.

The second half was more of the same as Wyoming East took every opportunity to take off down the court and put pressure on Fairmont Senior mounting an insurmountable 21-point lead with 4:38 to go in the game.

Sandy finished the game with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.  Gabby Lupardus scored most of her 17 points later in the second half while keeping the ball from the Polar Bears. Emily Saunders only recorded 8 points for the Warriors but more importantly added 9 rebounds, 7 blocked shots and cleaned up the paint in the win.

Fairmont Senior shot only 9 of 49 (18%) for the game, committed 24 turnovers that accounted for 21 Warrior points compared to Wyoming East’s 14 turnovers which yielded only 2 points for the Polar Bears.

The Warriors start no players older than a sophomore.  Good news for future opponents!

Class A

(2) St. Joseph Central- 41

(4) Gilmer County- 42

SJC- Tyesha Taylor-16, Alexis Hall- 11

GIL- Kylie Shuff- 20, Riley Fitzwater- 11

St. Joseph Central Coach Shannon Lewis said Thursday afternoon if he were to  see Gilmer County in Saturday’s Class A State Final, he was going to press them from the opening tip. St. Joseph Central went after the Titans like they owed the Irish money, forcing 6 turnovers leading to 10 Irish points with St. Joseph leading 16-6 after one. For Gilmer County, the quarter break could not come quick enough.

The Titans were staggered in the first stanza but used the break to settle down and play the Irish closer in the second quarter only losing it 11-9. However the Titans were still trailing 27-15 at the half.

As the second half begun this match-up turned into a head scratcher. For St. Joseph Central the ball stopped going in the hoop. The Irish shot a dismal 5 of 29 (17.2%) and 1 of 11 (9%) from three-point land. Even with all that the Irish were still out-playing the Titans in most other categories but moment by moment, Gilmer County was closing the gap.

By the end of the third quarter the Titans had closed the Irish 12-point half-time lead to just 1 and the Irish couldn’t do a thing about it. The guards were rattled and, as mentioned before, shots were not falling. Because of their inability to score, foul trouble and a short bench, the Irish were limited in their opportunity to apply pressure.

Credit Gilmer County, 5’8” junior guard Kylie Shuff as she hit big shot after big shot in the second half. At one point a media representative that covers Gilmer County observed he didn’t know how much longer the Titan’s guard could stay on her feet teetering on exhaustion.

Shuff, along with 6’3” forward Riley Fitzwater, had willed the West Virginia Class A state title from the Huntington West Virginia Catholic School, where it had been locked up for safe and secure for 7 years. The duo was steady all game, accounting for 31 of the 42 Titans total points. However, when the final nails needed to be put into the Irish coffin, it was 5’8” senior guard Emile Jedamski that hammered home the lead knocking down a three pointer with 1:03 to play. Then 5’0” senior guard Mackenzie Huff that made one of two free throws to end the scoring for the Titans and the dynasty for St. Joseph Central. St. Joe’s, no doubt, will “Remember the Titans.”

Class AAA

(1) Morgantown- 61

(2) Huntington- 56

MHS- Sydney Holloway- 25, Lydia Adrian- 11

HUN- Dazha Congleton- 25, Jordyn Dawson- 19

The search for a three-peat for the Morgantown Mohigans began fast and hard, just like all their games. The Mohigans approach every game with a detailed plan and they usually execute that game plan to a tee. This time out was no different for the two time defending champs except here they scrapped their familiar man-to-man for a zone.

The defensive change slowed the Highlanders considerably especially the Huntington’s 5’11” junior forward Jordyn Dawson who was limited to 5 minutes of playing time picking up her second foul with 3:05 left in the first quarter and accounting for only 2 points. Senior guard Dazha Congleton picked up the slack for the Highlanders posting 12 first half points and grabbing 2 rebounds.

The Mohigans were also plagued by their own key player being in early foul trouble as Sydney Holloway picked up her second personal foul with 48 seconds left in the first quarter. At the quarter break Morgantown coach Jason White made Holloway disappear into the bench for the remainder of the half. Making matters worse, senior point-guard Paige Poffenberger picked up her second and third fouls 9 seconds apart with 4 plus minutes remaining in the second quarter and with a 21-18 lead.

The Mohigans and Highlanders did not solve much after 16 minutes of exchanging blows, bobbing and weaving like two prizefighters ultimately leaving the game tied at 26 at the half.

When Holloway went to the bench she already had 7 points. Waiting to return she was a Like a caged animal looking as if she couldn’t wait to get back onto the court.  She used the third and fourth periods to demonstrate why.

The foul fest continued in the third quarter for Huntington. The fouls mounted quickly for the Highlanders being called for 7 team fouls in less than 4 minutes of play, including 2 on Dazha Congleton that sent the dazzling 5’8” senior to the bench at the 4:45 mark with 4. Huntington’s scrappy Jordyn Dawson who was limited to 2 points in the entire first half, put 11 on the board in the third to save the Highlanders efforts.

Consequentially, 9 of Morgantown’s 15 third quarter points came from free throws, including 7 from Sydney Holloway alone. The free throw disparity allowed Morgantown to take a 41-37 lead into the final stanza.

The fourth quarter was a back and forth affair, literally. Both team’s stars: Morgantown’s Holloway and Huntington’s Congleton traded baskets like two heavyweight fighters in the final round of a title bout.

After Morgantown took a 6-point lead at the 6:02 mark, the Highlanders embarked on an 8-0 run to take a brief 2-point lead 47-45 with 3:53 left. Morgantown went on an 8-0 run of their own, putting the Mohigans up 6 with 2:18 left until their three-peat is realized. A couple of minutes later after some back and forth scoring while taking care of the ball and making free throws, the Mohigans completed their three-season long domination of West Virginia class AAA girls’ basketball.

Despite being plagued with early foul trouble that limited her playing time to 23 of 32 minutes, Sydney Holloway finished with 25 points, 9 rebounds and was 15 of 17 from the line. Holloway, the 5’10” Mohigans senior forward, had 11 of her 25 in the fourth quarter, including 5 of 5 from the foul line.

QUICK HITTERS- FINALS

CLASS A

Kylie Shuff – 2017 – 5-11 – Guard – Gilmer County – Scrappy and mentally tough…Quick feet…Likes to get to the rim… Plays all out, all the time

Riley Fitzwater – 2017 – 6-3 – Forward – Gilmer County – Solid for her size… Soft hands, keeps them high once she receives the ball…Excellent face-up shot blocker

Mychelle Johnson – 2016 – 5-7 – Guard – St. Joseph Central – Signed: Middle Tennessee State -Reads the passing lane…Gets to opportunities very quickly…Possesses leadership qualities…Should look to score more

Tyesha Taylor – 2016 – 5-9 – Forward – St. Joseph Central – Solid frame… Isolates well from various positions…Strong hands…Good finisher…Wants the ball

Alexis Hall – 2018 – 5-9 – Guard – St Joseph Central –  Solid ball handler…Has takeover ability…Can shoot and gets to the hoop under control…Finishes strong at the basket

CLASS AA

Gabby Lupardus – 2018 – 5-7 – Guard – Wyoming East – All the tools except a left hand…Reads the defense…Delivers the ball in traffic…Attacks the basket and finishes…Has a solid jump shot with good range…Great ball handling skills…Incredible court awareness…Understands the game…One of the top 3 players in the state

Kara Sandy -2018 – 5-10 – Guard – Wyoming East- Great quick release…Three-point specialty…Runs the floor…Active defensively

Emily Saunders – 2019 – 6-4 – Forward – Wyoming East – Long reach…Left handed with good ball control…Soft hands… Not awkward or shy

Tyaira Horton – 2016 – 5-3 – Guard – Fairmont Senior – Quick, fast feet…Beats ball handler to spot…Goes hard to the hoop…Shows up at the most opportune times to make something happen for her team

Erica Bowles – 2017 – 5-10 – Guard – Fairmont Senior – Moves well without the ball…Works to get open…Has deep 3-point range on the jump shot…Great release point on her jump shot

Abby Stoller – 2017 – 5-11 – Forward – Fairmont Senior – Strong inside…Good solid drop step moves on both blocks… Finishes strong…Very good finish at the hoop…Foul line in is her comfort zone

CLASS AAA

Sydney Holloway – 2016 – 5-10 – Forward – Morgantown – Signed: Bryant University- Forward in name only…Will play wing in college…Athletic with a long reach…A slasher and tough finisher inside…Needs to develop more on the perimeter, especially at the three-point line

Paige Poffenberger – 2016 – 5-7 – Guard – Morgantown – Solid ball handler…Deep perimeter game…Good at the hoop… Makes big free-throws

Rachel Laskody -2016 – 6-0 – Forward – Morgantown – Strong and athletic…Good hands…Better than average post moves…Rebounds well, puts a body on opponent…Runs the floor

Lydia Adrian – 2017 – 5-11 – Forward – Morgantown – Solid guard skills…Long, athletic left hander…Runs the floor…Shut down defender

Dazha Congleton – 2016 – 5-8 – Guard – Huntington – As talented as anyone in the tournament…Fast with the ball…Slashes to the hoop and finishes strong…Very good handle…Always around the ball

Jordyn Dawson – 2017 – 5-10 – Forward – Huntington – All over the court…Great in the press…Active, quick hands…Athletic and smooth…Has the ability to take over a game…Good finisher with either hand

Joe Costa: JCosta@BlueStarBB.com

On Twitter: @JosephGCosta

Joe Costa has been with Blue Star since 2000 serving as a National Evaluator and Media Contributor. Coaching the Pittsburgh Rockers for over 10 years, he helped produce two national championships and more than 100 scholarship student-athletes. Additionally, Costa has coached both girls and boys on the high school and collegiate levels plus served as a floor coach for several Nike All-American Camps and Skills Academies.

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