<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><em><b>Crosstown rivals face-off for the second time this season. South Grand Prairie came in with hopes of extending their undefeated 18-0 record over their in-city rivals Grand Prairie, who were also attempting to continue their success from the week prior with ideas of spoiling the Warriors’ perfect season. </b></em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><em><strong>Grand Prairie Gophers, 66 vs South Grand Prairie, 82 </strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><em><strong>South Grand Prairie </strong></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;"><em><strong>| [player_tooltip player_id="1007338" first="Terin" last="Johnson"] | Power Forward | 2021 | </strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;"><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">Senior stretch-forward, [player_tooltip player_id="1007338" first="Terin" last="Johnson"], was a force to be reckoned with in this game. </span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">The lefty handled the dirty work early down low, battling for position, getting to the free-throw line, pulling down rebounds among 3 and more players, creating second-chance opportunities, and blocking shots. Johnson was also a l</span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">ob threat who displayed effortless leaping ability when </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">throwing down a mean rim rocking slam dunk off an</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> alley-oop from teammate [player_tooltip player_id="958567" first="Khaden" last="Bennett"] on a fast break run. [player_tooltip player_id="1007338" first="Terin" last="Johnson"] even s</span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">howed off his abilities as a stretch-four as he put the ball on the floor, got to the rack, and finished through all types of contact. </span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;"><em><strong>| [player_tooltip player_id="959224" first="Jordan" last="Roberts"] | Shooting Guard | 2021 |</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;"><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">[player_tooltip player_id="959224" first="Jordan" last="Roberts"] </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">showed everyone in attendance why he’</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;" data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">s known in Texas for being a pure shooter who shoots it with range and no conscious. It d</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;" data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">idn’t take Roberts long to get it going, he was in the zone all night, everything seemed to come easy to him and go his way. He </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">couldn’t be contained in the half-court, his nice c</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">ontrolled shiftiness with both hands was extremely problematic for Grand Prairie’s defense to handle, allowing him to </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">s</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">core on from each level of the court multiple times. [player_tooltip player_id="959224" first="Jordan" last="Roberts"] was at</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> his deadliest when playing off the ball, where he was able to freelance, using his IQ and court vision to find holes in the defense. There were countless occasions where the Senior guard</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> scored without ever taking a single dribble. Roberts </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">made timely cuts to the basket for open layups and ran off screens for open jumpers. </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Excellent hands as a defender, there was a point where he had back-to-back steals that led to a fastbreak dunk and layup. When he was able to get out in transition Jordan went on to s</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">how off his hops while smashing home some mean thunderous slams. </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">[player_tooltip player_id="959224" first="Jordan" last="Roberts"] was a complete offensive weapon that was a </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">flat out threat with and without the ball in his hands,</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> the offense seemed to run through him, and his t</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">eammates looked for him each time up the floor. </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> </span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;"><em><strong>| [player_tooltip player_id="958567" first="Khaden" last="Bennett"] | Shooting Guard | 2022 |</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;"><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">As usual, [player_tooltip player_id="958567" first="Khaden" last="Bennett"] was a phenomenal 3-and-D player who impacted the game with his all-around skill set. Bennett </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">c</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;" data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">an do just about everything on the court well enough to affect the outcome of the game. </span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">Khaden displayed a tough competitive edge, he looked as if he was playing with a chip on his shoulder. He went on to </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">make a few plays in the third quarter where he beat his man off the dribble to the rack, using in-and-out crossovers and high pick-and-roll screens, accumulating 11 second-half points. </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">This Texas-ranked prospect is always</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;" data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}"> a </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">major contributor across the board,</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> [player_tooltip player_id="958567" first="Khaden" last="Bennett"] is someone who prides himself in defense, and is willing to take on any challenge thrown his way. </span></p>
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<p style="padding-left: 40px;"><em><strong>| [player_tooltip player_id="1010380" first="Ringo" last="Deng"] | Forward | 2022 |</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;"><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">[player_tooltip player_id="1010380" first="Ringo" last="Deng"] came in off the bench and provided outstanding defense which really made a difference in slowing Grand Prairie’s guard play down and keeping them out of the lane. </span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">Great footwork, concentration, and use of his length when guarding his man and playing help defense. Deng stayed low to the ground and kept his long arms wide enough to alter his opponent’s vision and passes, causing the Gophers to turnover the ball and take forced shots. [player_tooltip player_id="1010380" first="Ringo" last="Deng"] went out there and picked up</span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}"> blocks and steals just by keeping his hands active. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><em><strong>Grand Prairie</strong></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;"><em><strong>| [player_tooltip player_id="1003841" first="Ja’Matthew" last="McGhee"] | Point Guard | 2021 | </strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;"><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">[player_tooltip player_id="1003841" first="Ja’Matthew" last="McGhee"] was the floor general that brought the attitude, the leadership, the scoring, the ball-handling, and the defense for his squad. The Gopher point guard was o</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">n fire early, pulling up from beyond the arc, catching and shooting efficiently, </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">making 2 three-pointers, </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">and dropping 8 of Grand Prairie’s first 12 points of the game. McGhee w</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">as all over the court making plays, he nailed his first shot in the deep corner </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">using a nifty crossover with impressive footwork before hitting </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">a three-pointer off the glass. Afterward, he went down on the defensive end, dove for a loose ball, came back on offense, caught a pass at the elbow, and knocked down a quick catch-and-shoot opportunity, sinking his first two shot attempts of the game. Ja’Matthew continued his high-level play in the second quarter putting up </span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">9 points, before heading into halftime with 17 of the Gophers 29 first-half points. </span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">After a quiet third quarter, [player_tooltip player_id="1003841" first="Ja’Matthew" last="McGhee"] went ballistic in the fourth putting up <span style="font-size: 1rem;">22 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the stripe</span>, s</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">howing a true will to win, with a no-quit attitude. He </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">knocked down threes all over the place, 4 to be exact, even hitting reverse layups, and getting to the foul line. </span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">One thing you can always count on with McGhee, is that he will always play top-notch defense, will lock down or slow down any guard you put in front of him, and he can also give taller guys problems with his peskiness. He’s someone w</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">illing to sacrifice his body, take charges from much bigger opponents, and layout for loose balls, being the first to the floor every single time. Reasons like that are why [player_tooltip player_id="1003841" first="Ja’Matthew" last="McGhee"] is u</span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">sually known for his defense, but</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> now he is starting to become known for his outstanding playmaking ability. H</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">is footwork and basketball IQ have improved tremendously, he’s been picking his spots well, and knowing when and when not to shoot and which passes to make. This young man’s hard work has really shown this season, it’s clear he’s put a lot of hours in on his shooting capability. Not only did McGhee put up 39 points against an undefeated South Grand Prairie team, but the unsigned Senior did it efficiently, and within the flow of the offense, nothing was forced. </span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">The upside for Ja’Matthew is high, there is no college in the country that would be disappointed in signing this kid here.</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;"><em><strong>| [player_tooltip player_id="1052082" first="Savion" last="Red"] | Combo Guard | 2022 |</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;"><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">This fierce competitor kept the same intensive energy all game long despite the score on the board. [player_tooltip player_id="1052082" first="Savion" last="Red"] consistently displayed</span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}"> remarkable athleticism with the way he flew up and down the court on defense and with the ball in his hands on the offensive end. Red w</span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">as slippery when playing off the ball, </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">even when the South Grand Prairie defense focused in on him Red was able to use</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;" data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}"> his elusiveness to shake off a defender and get open. </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;" data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">This fearless slasher exhibited great body control mid-air, as well as on the floor while showing his knack for forcing his way inside. [player_tooltip player_id="1052082" first="Savion" last="Red"] proved to be a very physical player that was not afraid of going head up with the rim protector or his defender and throwing his body into them before completing the play, which </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;" data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}">often led him to the free-throw line in the first-half of play.</span></p>
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