AL

Thursday 8/11

The Final 4 – The top two seeds Purpose & Philly Hoop Group were ready to take on the survivors from Wednesday night, Philly Elite and SPUGY. 

SPUGY vs Philly Hoop Group

Philly Hoop Group has been the most balanced team in the tournament.  SPUGY, minus the star power of Hannah Hildalgo, still had plenty of talent to pull off the upset. 

Key Matchups

Backcourt – Kaylin Bethea, PHG vs Shariah Baynes, SPUGY – Both of these future D1 PGs bring a lot of speed and athleticism that can impact the game on both ends. 

Wings – Aleah Snead, PHG vs Shayla Smith, SPUGY – They are high impact players but do it very differently. Snead is more of a slasher while Smith is more of an outside shooter. 

Frontcourt – Dejah Evans & Bella Toomey, PHG vs Quanirah Cherry-Montague, SPUGY – The PHG frontcourt makes up for the size difference by playing with a consistent energy. Quanirah’s length and athleticism make her a layup threat and shot changer. 

Turning Point

At the Half, SPUGY led 26-24. Shayla Smith scores a quick 8 but PHG responds to close the gap to 34-32 with 16 mins left. 

SPUGY #5 Taylor Brown came off the bench and made back to back 3 pointers to hold the lead at 50-46  with 5 minutes left.

PHG #35 Deja Evans ties it at 50 by getting a put-back on a missed free throw. After a stop on the next possession, Kaylin Bethea hits a transition pull-up jumper to give PHG the lead 52-50 with 2:40 left in the game.

The PHG defense held SPUGY to 2 points the rest of the way and they made enough free throws to hold on the W 55-52.

Standouts

#11 Aleah Snead, PHG – Lead her team with 12 points. She didn’t shoot a lot but was very efficient throughout. 

#23 Shayla Smith, SPUGY – Battled through foul trouble in the 1st half. Her strong start to the 2nd Half put her team in position to win. 

#0 Shariya Baynes, SPUGY – She was the engine in the first half. Using her quickness to get in the paint. Shot the ball from the outside with confidence.

#14 Kaylin Bethea, PHG -”Big Play KK” When the game was in the most intense moment she stepped up and broke the 50-50 tie on a cold blooded pull-up in transition.

Purpose vs Philly Elite

Philly Elite entered the game as the underdog and Purpose was looking to remain undefeated.

Key Matchups

In the Paint – Controlling the paint would be very important for PE to have a chance at the upset. They had the size advantage with the combo of Amya Stewart and Gianna Johnson

Purpose has the Swiss Army Knife in Olivia Jones and she hasn’t had a problem with any matchup she’s seen.  Would she be able to hold it down?

Backcourt – The Purpose trio of Easley, Correa, and Stokes has been a handful for everyone. Would the PE guards Anye Washington, Saniyah S, and Aaliyah M. be up for the task?

Turning Point

The two questions asked above were answered quickly. 

In the paint, Olivia Jones showed the physicality to hold it down.

In the backcourt, the Purpose guards got it going early.  Carryn Easley was the engine as she had some nice assists and finished when she got to the cup.

Purpose jumped out to a 14-5 lead and never looked back.

Standouts

#10 Carryn Easley, Purpose – Showed that she is a true PG. Was pesky on defense and she created several turnovers. On offense she “chose her shots wisely” and used her drive to create shots for teammates.

#0 Olivia Jones, Purpose – The most well rounded basketball player in the tournament. What can’t she do?? She does whatever the team needs in order to get the W. Her defense, rebounding, and ability to draw fouls stood out. (Made 8 free throws)

#22 Kaleah Correa, Purpose – Played well off the ball. Was ready to shoot when open. Was a blur in transition. Showed a lot of toughness tonight. 

#21 Amya Stewart, Philly Elite – Every time she stepped on the floor she showed up. The footwork in the paint is impressive. Her competitiveness and overall approach to the game make her a great teammate.