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LBI Event Recap: Carolina Fall Finale Day 1 (Spartanburg, SC)

By R.Simone @R.SimoneP, 09/19/20, 8:45PM EDT

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Spartanburg, SC - The time of year has come when the air is a little cooler, the day time is a little shorter, the leaves are starting to turn, and travel basketball season is coming to a close. 2020 has been a year filled with dramatic highs and lows. Thankfully, one thing that has remained consistent is the passion and phenomenal play that lady ballers from a variety of regions have been bringing to the court. The LBI Carolina Fall Finale was no different. Players from the Eastern and South East regions all pulled into Spartanburg, SC to leave it all on the court before regular-season high school hoops begin.  

THE TEAM OF THE DAY: South Carolina 76ers 2024
The old saying defense wins game will always be on the top coaches’ “huddle talk” list because it is true. The SC 76ers 2024 team was living proof of that. From the opening tip, they applied a smothering full-court man to man press and never let up. They did a superb job of playing dynamic on the ball defense without generating a lot of fouls, which kept their rotation strong and fresh. They converted turnover after turnover into transition points, often getting the ball up the court with 2-3 dribbles. That wasn’t it. They have a multitude of snipers and scorers on the team that can score at will and also creates scoring opportunities for each other. Like most strong teams, these young ballers stand alone in the role they play to make their team successful, but as you learn a little more about them, you will see that they also have a lot in common.

Trinity Vance 2024 | Legacy Charter
A pure hustler, Trinity often sparked the way with her quick hands stealing the ball and using her great court vision get the ball up the court to the open man. She’s a leader and a shooter.

Raina McGowans 2024 | Wren 
The Energizer Bunny of the team! No matter how many times or how hard she was knocked to the ground, Raina just got up and kept going…all the way to the rim. She’s a shooter.

Tamia Watkins 2025 | Andrew Jackson
Her presence in the paint was undeniable. It seemed as though every rebound belonged to Tamia on both ends of the court. She knows how to finish strong at the rim.

Skylar Tuthill  2024 | Cardinal Newman
When the ball was in Skylar’s hands, there was no way of predicting what was to come. She took opponents baseline and knocked down a short jumper, she passed the ball in the paint for an assist, and she penetrated the lane and drew the foul. She is definitely a shooter.

Alexandria Bennon 2024 | Legacy Charter – One thing that Alexandria had no trouble doing was staying in front of her man. She gets low and locks in. She has quick hands and even quicker feet. She did a great job of seeing the court and keeping the ball moving. A hard-working player indeed.

Zykerra Brown 2025 | Legacy Charter
The ringer of the team, Zykerra seemed to be somewhat quiet and possibly a post player. Nope, not the case. Not the case at all. She was very vocal on both ends of the court. She also was one of the best defenders on the team. Zykerra can handle the ball, maneuver her way to the open lanes for easy buckets and she doesn’t hesitate to battle on the boards. She has a high motor…and she’s a shooter.

Samira Kahlil 2024 | River Bluff
One thing that cannot be denied is the hustle that Samira brought to the court. Not too many players are able to get an assist while diving out of bounds to save a loose ball. She’s smart and she’s a shooter.

Olivia Randolph 2024  | Westside 
If it was coming off the rim, Olivia was more than likely going to grab it. She’s long and quick, able to hustle and beat half of the guards down the court. The most impressive thing that stood out the most was Olivia’s ability to grab a defensive board, look down the court, and throw a perfect lead pass to her teammates. Time and time again.

STAND OUT PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Jessica Woods 2023 | Westwood High
One of the most athletic players in the gym, Jessica had her way on the court. She is crafty, skilled, and smart. She knows how to create space to get off the shot that she wants. She also has the know-how and ability to draw the defense and create easy scoring opportunities for her teammates. She was a beast!

Trinity Delaney  2023  | AC Flora
A strong post with the quickness of a guard, Trinity was a consistent inside force for her team. She can rebound with bodies around, regardless of how physical it gets. She knows how to work without the ball to make herself available to score on the block.

Kenzie Feagin  2023 | Florence Christian Academy
Kenzie was the player that for whatever reason teams kept forgetting that she could shoot and were leaving her wide open. Boy oh, boy did she make them pay! The times that they did remember, she quickly switched gears and worked her way to the paint for a soft touch floater. Kenzie was great in transition, not turning the ball over and advancing it as quickly as possible.  

Gabreyel Cook  2022 | Hickory Ridge
One thing was for sure, Gabreyel was not going to be pushed around on the court. She was phenomenal at protecting the ball and herself, often strong-arming opponents as they came at her. She showed not one ounce of fear. She kept her head and was the floor general for her team. Offensively, Gabreyel made great decisions with the ball and kept the offensive flow moving.

Tanaja Kennedy 2023 | Cardinal Newman
There was not a player on the court that out-hustled Tanaja. She was all gas and no brakes on every possession. She was fearless. Whether it was driving to the rim or battling for rebounds, bigger players did not slow down or intimidate her at all. She can score when she needs to but knows how to drop dimes as well.  

Zion Duncan  2023 | Victory Christian
Zion made her presence felt in the paint. She altered shots, created turnovers, and pulled down more than her share of rebounds. She is an active and vocal player with great ball awareness and a nice defender. If there were second-chance points to be collected, she took care of it, and she did it well.

Logan Dutka  2022 | Community School of Davidson
Very disciplined and skilled, Logan consistently showed her ability to shoot, score, and keep a cool head. She was a workhorse on both ends, not hesitating to get on the floor and recuse a loose ball or cause a jump ball. She has a quick release and can knock down long-distance shots off the bounce or with her feet set.   

Keziyah Sanders 2024 | Sumter High School
A lot of heart and not a drop of fear, Keziyah traveled deep into the paint often to score or drop off a pass to an open teammate. She never forced a shot, utilizing her sweet stop and pop shot that was just as effective. She has a lot of speed and was hard to stay in front of.  

Rickell Brown 2024 | Sumter High School
Rickell showed her ability to be an effective floor general and score when she needed to. While directing traffic, she would quickly recognize when her defender was not on their job and make them pay by draining a three-pointer right in their face. Rickell was one of if not the best defender on her team.

Evangelia Paulk 2023  | Asheville Christian Academy
With a long wingspan and a nice vertical, Evangelia was a pest on defense and extremely difficult to stop on offense. She is a scoring threat in multiple ways, which is one reason she can play multiple positions. She runs the lanes and makes herself available. She can shoot from deep. Even after playing great defense.  

Camille Files 2025 | Shiloh High School
A versatile player that played multiple positions, Camille was an undeniable force on the court. She has a high IQ for her age and knows the game. She knows how to use her skills and craftiness to get the ball in the basket. She is a floor leader and did a great job of getting her team involved.

Monet Dance  2023  | Mount Pisgah
When a point guard can run the team and score at will, you know that she is a big problem. That is exactly what Monet is. She’s an assessor. She knows how and when to run a set and when to take over and score. She is a solid defender and her tenacity on the defensive end complimented her offensive talents quite well. She is vocal, energetic, and never seemed to get tired.

Emma Larios 2023 | Asheville Christian Academy
Emma is tough as nails. Don’t let the small frame and cute face fool you. She gets scrappy and on the floor whenever it is necessary. She is not afraid of a little contact either. She knocked down some big shots in the paint, getting bumped and hit along the way. She can dish it out as well, playing some tough on the ball defense and never backing down.