SPRINGFIELD, MO – Hillcrest continues to be one of the area’s brightest surprises this season.
Naveah Shockley’s big afternoon helped propel the Hornets to a 62-53 victory over West Plains in Monday’s White Division semifinal.
Shockely, a 5-foot-7 senior, poured in a game-high 22 points and showcased an inside-outside threat for which West Plains had few answers.
Hillcrest teammates Lillie Moore (12) and Jamyra Parlette (11) also reached double figures.
Shockley wasted little time making her presence known, with 7 points in the first quarter to help key an early 14-2 run.
“Neveah can get to a different level, and there’s not many that can guard her,” Hillcrest head coach Justin Gerald said. “She’s got good size, she can change her speeds and she can finish. She’s really a post player that’s a guard, for real. Even today, she stepped out and knocked some threes down, so you gotta come guard her. You get her down into that paint, and she can finish with the best of them. She’s just a Swiss Army knife that we like to use often.”
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While Shockley helped spear the offensive attack, Hillcrest’s defensive focus looked to keep the ball away from a pair of talented freshmen in Gillian Green and Ainsley McWilliams.
Green, in particular, required extra attention from the Hornet defenders, according to Gerald.
Already known as a lethal interior threat, the 5-foot-11 forward – held to 9 points in the contest – drew immediate double-teams on the block.
“For Gill, when she gets it, she’s not going to be by herself,” Gerald said. “Because one-on-one, I don’t think there’s anybody in the area that can stop her, but Ainsley McWilliams is a big deal, too. What we wanted is, if she let it go, then don’t let her catch it back. Without her distributing it and our eyes on her, we get to focus on Gill a little more.”
West Plains rallied in the third quarter behind its leading scorer Zoe Shrubb.
A 3-pointer from the 5-foot-6 junior cut the Hillcrest lead to a mere four points at 37-33; however, the Zizzers were unable to trim the lead any further.
Shrubb finished with a team-high 14 points and was joined in double figures by teammate Lucy Hafer (11).
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“Once that state ranking came out, and your name’s on that list, there’s a bullseye on your back,” Gerald said. “You haven’t lost a game yet, and somebody wants to be the first one. Any team we play, we’re not sneaking up on, and I think they’re up for it – they love it.”
The victory propels Hillcrest (10-0) into the White Division championship against Fair Grove (8-2) tomorrow at 3:30 pm. West Plains (6-4) will face Marshfield (7-3) in the 12:30 am third place matchup.
Varsity Final: Hillcrest – 62, West Plains – 53
Hillcrest 17 12 17 16 — 62
West Plains 8 13 17 15 — 53
Hillcrest scoring: Nevaeh Shockley 22, Lillie Moore 12, Jamyra Parlette 11, Sa’Niya Johnson 8, Serenity Johnson 5
West Plains scoring: Zoe Shrubb 14, Shaylee Peterson 12, Lucy Hafer 11, Gillian Green 9, Ainsley McWilliams 4, Ashley Culton 3
