Africentric 62 , Westerville South 58 - Prospect Scouting Report
Lady Nubians grind it out in main event of Nubian Classic
COLUMBUS, Ohio - - The final game of the night in the Nubian Classic lived up to every expectation the fans set for it. The game had five ties and multiple lead changes in the first half, but in the end, it was the Africentric Lady Nubians (16-2, 12-0) who showed their grit and experience as they defeated the Westerville South Lady Wildcats (11-6, 9-2) 62-58.
On Senior Night, which honored one of the most decorated senior classes in City League history, Africentric started the game with the moment of the night. An honorary layup for senior Rayanna Howell who is out injured this season, with every senior getting a chance to touch it before Howell made the layup.
DePaul commit Natiah Nelson kicked the game off with a layup herself, and added a free throw to it to officially start the game. Nelson and University of Dayton commit Kamryn Grant owned the paint in the opening quarter with each of them pulling down multiple rebounds and consistently scoring at the rim.
Westerville South freshman guard Cirrye White was excellent all night, starting in the first quarter as she was the source of offense to open the game. Between Whites scoring and the quick defensive hands of sophomore phenom point guard Ariyana “Peanut” Cradle, the Wildcats fought back into the game and only trailed 14-11 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was a wild ride filled with twists, turns and playmaking from both teams. Cradle began the quarter tying the game at 14 with a triple. The teams traded the lead back and forth over the majority of the quarter, Wildcats senior Zoe Guice tied the ball game at 16 midway through the second. Sophomore point guard Janiya Bowers finally stemmed the tide for good with a layup after senior University of Buffalo commit Sam Thompson tied it up at 23.
Africentric sprinted into the locker room after a 10-6 run to end the half, up 33-27.
Both teams offense exploded in the third quarter, with each team having their best offensive production immediately after the half. Cradle carried the offensive load for her team in the third, scoring nine points in the frame as her team tried to climb out of a hole. Wildcats junior forward Deziah Dupree helped on the inside with some tough rebounds that got Westerville South out in transition. Despite their best efforts, the Lady Nubians kept on coming as senior track and field state champion Ashtan Winfrey put her imprint on the game by scoring all six of her points in the quarters.
Africentric headed into the final quarter with a 10-point gap, leading 56-46.
Westerville South showed no quit and battled back in the fourth, a 7-1 run from the Wildcats was topped off by a Guice layup to cut the lead to one as they trailed 57-53 with just over six minutes remaining. Cradle split a pair at the free with 3:07 left to get the ball game to 57-56 in favor of the home team.
It was free throws that kept Westerville South at bay, as that’s all Africentric hit during the final quarter of play.
Up 60-58, Africentric proceeded to miss four straight free throws, but the physical nature of the team allowed them to grab the offensive rebounds both times and force Westerville South to keep fouling them. It was junior defensive stud Shaunie Little who sealed the deal by sinking a pair for the 62-58 final in favor of Africentric.
The Lady Nubians have a date set for their ninth consecutive Columbus City League championship against Centennial High School on February 10.
Westerville South welcomes Reynoldsburg to their home this upcoming week.
Below I break down the performances of two Division 1 commits and two young ladies who have Division 1 commit written all over them.