SCISA 1A Quarterfinals at Cardinal Newman: Top 5 Performers

When Tuesday's play at Cardinal Newman concluded, we found out which teams would be en route to Wilson Hall for semifinal contests on Thursday at Wilson Hall.    This season's 1A boys tournament opened with matchups not only at Wilson Hall but Calhoun Academy. With the field of 12 being narrowed down to a field of eight, the scene shifted to the Cardinals' home court for quarterfinal contests.    We at Prep Hoops were on hand at the Cardinals' nest in the Midlands for the day's play. Without further ado, here are our top five performers from quarterfinal Tuesday at Cardinal Newman.     The semifinal portion of the 1A bracket began filling up with Ragin Prep being the first team to punch its ticket to semifinal Thursday at Wilson Hall. The Rams threw a balanced scoring effort at the Panthers and Robinson-Hill paced those efforts with 11 points en route to a 52-37 win for Ragin Prep. He is a talent that may be easy to overlook because of him standing at 5-foot-6 amongst a group of other talents that may be six feet or more. Robinson-Hill is one of three team captains on this season's Ragin Prep rendition – and the youngest being a 2027. He can create havoc on defense by clogging up an opposing team's passing lanes an can put points on the board at all three levels.     Playing as a senior in a state tournament is bittersweet – one more opportunity for you and yours to experience state championship euphoria while also recognizing one loss brings your high school career to a close. Despite a valiant effort from Siau, he and his Holly Hill Academy assembling experienced this being on the receiving end of an 81-59 loss to Curtis Baptist. Siau saved some of his best for last as he led his team by example with 30 points. Along with the ability to place points on the board from anywhere on the floor, rebound and come through as an all-around playmaker, Siau was a major reason why the Raiders continued to battle until the final buzzer despite the double-digit deficit Curtis Baptist had built throughout the contest.      Wright first played at the varsity level last season as an eighth grader. When watching how he led his Curtis Baptist squad to victory against Holly Hill Academy, one can see why. An often used cliché in sports circles, but he had the Wright stuff to the tune of 24 points which led the Crusaders to an 81-59 triumph over the Raiders. His versatility enables him to give a team productive minutes at a variety of spots on the court – including at the one, two, three and wing. A good bit of the plays he made on Tuesday involved attacking the basket and finishing strong at the cup.      Milligan's Marlboro Academy team probably wanted a mulligan for the inauspicious way they began its quarterfinal contest with Jefferson Davis Academy – trailing the Raiders 24-14 at the break. In sports, it is not how one starts, but how one finishes. Thanks to 18 from the Dragons' star senior, Milligan was an important element in a come-from-behind win over the Raiders that earned it a semifinal matchup with Curtis Baptist. A formidable two guard who stands at 6-foot-2, he is a talent the hoops world will miss dearly following this season as he recently committed to Wingate University to play baseball.     Bonds led the way for his Richard Winn assembling with eight points to lift his Eagles over another flock of Eagles – those of Newberry Academy. Eight points may not seem like much, but Richard Winn was locked in a low-scoring affair with Newberry Academy – one where the final score was 33-19. Bonds is one of the taller member of the team at 6-foot-4. He is a frontcourt force who plays with his back to the basket and gets the job done in the interior as a scorer and a rebounder. Bonds maintains a full athletic plate as he also competes in football and baseball.

When Tuesday's play at Cardinal Newman concluded, we found out which teams would be en route to Wilson Hall for semifinal contests on Thursday at Wilson Hall.