Fort Wayne, IN: Day 1 of the Gym Rats Invitational was phenomenal and featured a number of talented high school standouts. This event hosted a many of the powerhouse teams from the Midwest and other neighboring states. The competition level was fierce with several games coming down to the wire and ending in thrilling buzzer beater fashion! A few notable performances on today’s courts featured.
Hunter Stidham 2018 Guard Dayton Lady Hoopstars
Stidham is a very aggressive guard with impressive quickness. She penetrated the gaps and found her open teammates in transition. Her foot speed proved too much for many as she easily got to the rim for a smooth finish. Stidham was all over the floor defensively causing numerous dead balls and forcing turnovers.
Alli Keyser 2019 Guard Michigan Rage-Red
Keyser is an assertive and forceful guard. Standing at only 5’7”, she plays much bigger and with the heart of a lion. Keyser was an able floor general for her team as she consistently led them in the right direction. Alli delivered the ball with accurately and scored the ball when needed. She knocked down open triples and attacked the basket aggressively leading her team to a 53-27 win over Indiana’s Best-Red.
Alex Fanning 2018 Forward Midwest Elite 16U EYBL Platinum
Fanning was a scoring threat in the low post. She was very physical and used her body to easily score over her defenders. Alex was also a rebounding machine as she snatched down an impressive number of boards on the day.
Anyyssa Jones 2020 Point Guard Ohio Lady Hoopsters Jones
Jones came on strong in the 2nd half, after her team blew a 17 point lead over the Michigan Crossover EYBL 15U. The able guard made some huge plays on the offensive end of the floor to help her squad escape with 55-51 victory. Jones finished with a game high 18 points.
Grace Scalzo 2019 Guard Midwest Elite Weibel
A very good shooter from anywhere around and beyond the three point line, Scalzo was 5-8 from behind the arc in her team’s morning victory over All Ohio. She has a quick release and doesn’t need much space to get off her shot.
Lexus Bargesser 2022 Point Guard Michigan Premiere
Lexus set the tone early in a matchup against Example Sports. She came out aggressively and hit her first four shots, two of them three pointers, as the Premiere jumped out to an early lead. After leading her team in scoring during the first half with 10 points, Bargesser began setting her teammates up in the second half. Her overall impact on the game was evident in her teams convincing 55-29 victory.
Nila Blackford 2019 PF West Virginia Thunder Johnson
Against a talented Michigan Storm team, Nila used her strength and athleticism to impose her will inside. In a game that took a few twists and turns, the Thunder continued to battle until the end. Blackford led the charge with several offensive rebounds and inside baskets to keep it close until the Storm pulled away late. She scored 15 of her game high 18 points in the second half.
Paige Shy 2019 SG West Virginia Thunder Johnson
Shy, contrary to her name, was not bashful at all when it came to shooting from a distance today. She hit some long-range bombs that kept the Thunder in the game early and pulled them close late against the Michigan Storm. Paige was part of a late charge that got her team to within three points before finally succumbing to the Storm. She finished with 14 points.
Gabrielle Elliott 2020 SG Michigan Storm Elite 15 Taylor
Elliott got off to a fast start against the WV Thunder. She scored 10 first half points en route to a team high 14 points in the Storm’s 68-60 win. After the Storm gave up a double digit lead late in the second half, Gabrielle took over the ball handling responsibilities and dropped crucial free throws down the stretch to close the door on the Thunder comeback.
