Cincinnati, OH- The All Ohio Midwest Showdown was the place to be for Memorial Day weekend. The event featured hundreds of talented teams from different states competing at the highest level. Teams brought their A game and came to play on this wonderful weekend! There were lots of entertaining games featuring blowouts and those that came down to the wire. Here are a few notable performances on the weekend…….

Anaya Boyd 2020 CG FBC Bounce Nation 15U
Boyd is a beast! She plays with so much swagger and style on the court. Boyd used her crafty moves to blow by her defenders and finish at the cup. Her high IQ was impressive and enabled her to set up her teammates to score. Standing at 6’0,” the combo guard does it all both positions; distributing the ball well and hitting the open three in transition.

Genesis Bryant 2020 PG FBC Bounce Nation 15U
First things you notice about Genesis on the court are her ball handling and quickness. There weren’t too many guards that could guard her or stop her from getting to the basket. Genesis didn’t shy from any contact at all, she even was taking it to the rim finishing over bigger defenders. Also, she was also a threat from the 3-point range.

Lazurea Saunders 2018 SF Michigan MBA National Saunders 17U
Saunders showcased her ball handing and shooting skills over the weekend. In high school, Saunders plays in the post and is rarely on the wing. Over the weekend, she showed her range from behind the arc and the mid range jump shot; she proved she could handle the ball by hitting her defenders with moves and finishing at the rack.

Layne Ferrell 2019 SG Cincinnati Angels Basketball Club 17U
Ferrell played very well over the weekend. She showcased her all around game and showed her potential. She blocked shots into the stands, pushed the ball on the break, scored at rim and shot the ball well from the perimeter.

Allison Mader 2018 SG Dayton Lady Hoopstars
Mader was very active and made her presence on felt in a win over MI-CCE. The 5’9” shooting guard has a smooth shooting stroke and a nice touch around the rim. She was active on the glass and competed the whole game.

Rayven Peeples 2018 PF West Virginia Thunder 2018 Lupardus
Peeples was an explosive rebounder over the weekend! Battling for every shot that went on the glass, she found a way to snatch down the rebound. Also, she showcased her speed on the floor, running rim to rim, catching and finishing on the block. She was a huge rim protector blocking shots and keeping her opponents out of the paint.

Katrice Jackson 2019 PF Missouri Phenom 15U EYBL
Jackson was dominant on the weekend. She showed her rebounding abilities and her soft touch around the rim scoring numerous times. She went coast to coast and finished on the break as well. She moved well without the ball and that got her wide open layups.

Kenedi Hambrick 2018 SG Team Brandan Wright 2018 Gold
Hambrick was one of the best shooters in the gym all weekend. Her soft shooting touch left the rim watering triple after triple! She showcased her sweet handles that got her defenders to back off as she pulled up and shot the ball with a quick release. Her shots poured in time and time again. Hambrick literally shot the ball from anywhere on the court and if you left her open, it was a layup!

Karleigh Sledge 2018 PF AL Southern Starz 2018
Sledge is an athletic forward who ran the floor and was able to catch and finish on the break. She showcased her vertical jumping skills by blocking shots and dominating on the glass. Sledge was great finishing at the rim off of put back layups.

Camille Hobby 2019 PF SC76ers Black
Hobby was very impressive over the weekend. She scored the ball in the low post whenever she felt the need to. She competed on the boards and sent a few of her competitor’s shots out of bounds. Whenever Hobby got the ball in the high post, teams often left her open, but that was a mistake, because she was able to knock down that elbow jump shot. Her strong physical presence made teams afraid whenever she got the ball in her hands. She was too much to handle down in the low post because of her strength and nice post moves as she scored at will over her defenders.

Loyal McQueen 2020 SG South Carolina 76ers   
In a matchup against the hometown Cincinnati Finest, Loyal put on a show.  She dazzled the crowd early with back-to-back three point bombs from the parking lot.  Her deep range opened up the floor, allowing McQueen to have her way throughout the game.  She got to the rim and scored on several spectacular plays and set her teammates up for easy scores as well.  Loyal led all scorers with 20 points in the win.

Ashlyn Watkins 2022 Center South Carolina 76ers
At first glance Watkins appears to be a highly sought 2018 talent.  She is only a 7th grader!  Her performance in a win against Cincinnati’s Finest was dominant in every facet.  She scored in the post with strong moves and a well-developed jump hook.  On the defensive end she utilized her extreme wingspan to be a rim protector for the 76ers, blocking a number of layup and jump shot attempts.

Lalia Phelia 2021 SG Cincinnati’s Finest
Laila showed a lot of grit and determination in Saturday’s matchup against a fine SC 76ers team.  She led her team with 17 points, scoring in a variety of ways.  In transition she attacked the rim with great success.  Her ability to score the ball kept her team in the game until late.  She never gave up, stayed in attack mode and showed the versatility in her game. 

Destinee McGhee 2020 Center Southern Starz (Ala.)
Destinee had a dominant performance for the Starz in a win over the Indy Magic on Saturday.  She was an immovable object in the post as she scored easily inside on every touch.  The Magic tried fouling her when she got the ball down low, but it provided little to no resistance as Destinee powered the ball to the rim with no problem.  She easily split double and triple teams in the post to score or pass to open shooters for easy looks from three.  On defense she took up space in the lane, discouraging drives to the basket.  Her overall impact on the game was key in the Starz victory. 

Eden Sample 2021 SG FBC 2021 Black Johnny
Eden had a clutch performance in a 57-56 overtime win against the Illinois Lady Lightning on Saturday.  In a game of runs by both teams, FBC found themselves down by three with a few seconds remaining in regulation.  Sample hit a three off the glass (not sure if she called it) to send the game into OT.  The game remained close in the extra fray, but with time winding down and her team trailing by 1, Eden was fouled and calmly stepped to the line and made both free throws to win it for FBC.  She finished with a team high 19 points. 

Tatianna Thomas 2022 SF llinois Lady Lightning
Thomas had a stellar performance for the Lady Lightning on Saturday against FBC Black.  She got off to a modest start in the first half (5 pts.), but was key in the second half and overtime.  With her team trailing by 10 in the second half, Tatianna went to work.  She was not to be denied as she got to the basket in transition and hit a couple of three’s to get her team back in the game.  Thomas completed an  “and one” opportunity late in the game that put the Lightning ahead after their furious comeback.  The Lady Lightning eventually lost a thriller in OT (57-56) despite Tatianna scoring 15 points in the second half and overtime.  She finished with a game high 20 points.

Alona Blackwell 2019 SG Michigan Crossover 10th Grade EYBL
Alona celebrated her birthday in style Sunday against the Indy Magic. She opened up what was a close game by getting hot from 3-point land.  When her shooting barrage was complete Blackwell had knocked down a very impressive six (6) three pointers for the game. The versatile SG shouldered the scoring load in the second half for the Crossover, scoring 14 in the fourth quarter en route to a game high 27 points. 

Asaria Turman 2019 F/C Michigan Storm Elite 15 Brown
Turman played a vital role in orchestrating the Storm’s frantic second half comeback win over Kentucky Premiere.  She did all of the intangibles for the Storm as they battled back from a double-digit deficit.  She provided toughness inside on both ends of the court.  Her defense and rebounding held the Premiere in check in the second half.  Offensively, she provided a pressure relief valve for the Storm guards.  Late in the game she flashed to the high post where she received the ball, faced up and made the proper plays down the stretch to allow the Storm to walk away with a 62-59 victory.

Kailah Johnson 2019 PG Michigan Storm Elite 15 Brown
With her Storm team down in the second half Kailah decided to take matters into her own hands and go on a one woman run that cut deep into the Kentucky Premiere lead.  She came up with two steals on consecutive possessions that led to two layups and a free throw.  Johnson scored 7 of her 12 points during a third quarter run that put the Storm back in the game.  Her energy was contagious as the rest of the Storm matched her effort as they won in dramatic fashion over Kentucky Premiere.

Olivia Moore 2019 SG Michigan Storm Elite 15 Brown
A very versatile SG, Moore provided what her team needed in a Sunday matchup against Kentucky Premiere.  The Storm struggled in the first half as they tried to find their rhythm.  The only thing that kept them in the game was the 3-point shooting from Moore.  She hit two from deep that kept the Storm within striking distance.  Late in the fourth quarter the Premiere were mounting a comeback.  They had regained the momentum until Olivia hit an NBA range triple from the left sideline that put the game out of reach.