Game Report: Monroe Area-Hart County
Vonte Newell GA #39 PG #15 HEIGHT 6'0" POS PG CLASS 2024 View Profile Vonte Newell Twitter State: Georgia School: Monroe Area Club: Walton Flame With their backs against the wall, trailing 47-40 midway through the fourth quarter following a…
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Continue ReadingWith their backs against the wall, trailing 47-40 midway through the fourth quarter following a 16-4 Hart County run, Monroe Area turned to Vonte Newell Vonte Newell 6’0″ | PG Monroe Area | 2024 State GA to lead the Purple Hurricanes through adversity. Newell made all the plays late, sparking an 8-0 run to surge past the Bulldogs. It started with a three to end the run, making it 47-43. Newell then went coast-to-coast for a tough finish to make it a one possession game. Trailing by two with 41 seconds left, Newell created off the dribble from the top of the key, driving and kicking to Alan Jones for the go-ahead game-winning three in the corner. Vonte wasn’t done there. With Hart County threatening to take the lead back, Newell came away with a steal, using his athleticism to leap into the air, deflect the pass then haul down the ball with 22.5 seconds left. Vonte scored seven of his 11 points in the fourth quarter to go along with his 2 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Newell is a crafty playmaker that gets downhill and finds the open man. He puts terrific English on his layups, using his spin to convert difficult shots. On Friday his jumper was a major weapon, hitting three perimeter shots.
Alan Jones
Alan Jones
The star running back hit big shots in Monroe Area’s come from behind win after they led the entire game until the buzzer of the third quarter. Jones started out quick with six points in the first quarter, scoring on an And-1 putback and then hitting a corner three at the buzzer. Alan knocked down a mid-range jumper in the third and then in the fourth, down two, sank a dagger from distance deep in the corner with 41 seconds left to put Monroe Area up for good. Jones doesn’t necessarily look like a shooter, a powerfully built guard strapped with muscle, but Jr. has emerged as one of the Purple Hurricanes’ most trusted floor spacers and delivered when the game was on the line. He finished with 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.
Jakyri Jones
Jakyri Jones
I really liked what I saw from Jones, the All-State linebacker. Jakyri is a stout 5-foot-10, 190 pounds. He’s a bowling ball on the floor, able to blitz his way down the court in transition. Jones was able to secure rebounds and ignite fastbreaks as he sought the rim. His best move came when he went coast-to-coast and faked a pass to the corner, smoothly transitioning into a eurostep. Jones tallied a team-high 12 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals.
Tahj Johnson Tahj Johnson 6’7″ | SF Hart County | 2023 State GA took over in the fourth quarter on both ends of the floor. At 6-foot-7, the springy swingman rose above all others to collect rebounds and would push the ball up the floor for transition points. Johnson was a nuisance with his length, blocking every shot that came his way. Monroe Area couldn’t match his above the rim play when Tahj got the ball in the paint. Johnson scored on a three to open the night, then used a hook through contact, finished a lob, scored on a euro in transition and had a pair of And-1 drives. Hollywood finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks. D-II schools are courting the All-State forward.
Avery Strickland
Avery Strickland
Avery was automatic for the Bulldogs. I loved the touch he showed, scoring inside and out. The forward netted a step-through floater, a three, two mid-range jumpers and push-shot from about 10-feet out. His buzzer beater at the end of the third gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the second half. Strickland, a pitcher on the diamond, recorded 11 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal.
Terrance Mitchell
Terrance Mitchell
Cozy got loose in the third quarter, attacking the rim and hurting Monroe Area with his ability to explode when finishing. Mitchell had a game-high 14 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. All of his buckets came in the paint while going 4-4 from the foul line.