Battle in the Boro 2018 (part 4):
TN Flight Silver soars over the Freshman
By Bob Corwin
This is the fourth of five segments on the massive Battle in the Boro 2018. Each will touch on one of the five showcase divisions. For an overview of the event and the five All-tournament teams listed in one article, see the release: https://www.passthaball.com/news_article/show/934195
Freshman Showcase Final: TN Flight Silver (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) 59-51 WV Thunder 2021 Lupardus (Huntington, West Virginia)
This contest pitted TN Flight Silver’s superior guard quickness against WV Thunder 2021’s structured offense and three-point shooting. There was little separation until the final minutes of the game. WV led 36-33 at half and 45-44 with just over eight minutes left in the game. Around the three-minute mark, Flight Silver pulled ahead 51-49 and controlled the game thereafter with superior athleticism and its size. TN Flight Silver was led in scoring by Acacia Hayes with 16 points while WV Thunder 2021 was led by Baylee Goins with 17 points, both all- tournament selectees.
TN Flight Silver, Battle in the Boro 2018 Freshman Showcase Champions (PC: Bob Corwin)
All-tournament team members from final Showcase MVP Deayonna Cambridge ran the TN Flight Silver offense with a combination of quickness, vision and basketball IQ scoring primarily via penetration. She comes from good basketball stock with a sister now part of the Vanderbilt program. Acacia Hayes has both the ability to score (as in the final) by the perimeter shot or getting to the rim. She also can run the offense. The fourth of the Hayes sisters (three older all solid Division 1 players/recruits [oldest now at Tennessee]), Acacia has a chance to be the best of the four with some more growth and continued maturation of her game. She can score, handle, think and defend better than most rising freshmen.
Baylee Goins had a solid tournament showing the ability to finish at the rim going left or right but also can shoot the three-ball. She handles well enough at point. While Goins was often busy scoring, teammate Mickayla Perdue was minding the ball and making sure the Thunder offense was running smoothly.
Acacia Hayes and Deayonna Cambridge (#3, MVP) of TN Flight Silver PC: Bob Corwin
Special thanks to Tara Arnold, Harry Elifson, Marissa Holbert, Tim Lownsdale, Ryan Murray, Nick Ruebel, Matt Shewmake and Kyle Turnham who served with me on the All-Tournament Selections Committee. Evaluating approximately 270 Showcase teams was not easy!
Players below are listed alphabetically with height, position, graduation year and club team with home town in parenthesis. The criteria for selection was performance at the event in conjunction with success of the team. Congratulations to all selected!
2018 Battle in the Boro
Freshman Showcase
All-Tournament Team
Sarah Austin, 5-7, point guard, 2021, Maryland Lady Shooting Stars 2021 – Garner (Hughesville, Maryland)
Mickayla Perdue (#00) and Baylee Goins of WV Thunder 2021 Lupardus (PC: Bob Corwin)
Deayonna Cambridge, 5-8, point guard, 2022, TN Flight Silver (Antioch, Tennessee) MVP
Bailee Goins, 5-9, point guard, 2021, WV Thunder 2021 Lupardus (Cross Lanes, West Virginia)
Acacia Hayes, 5-6, point guard, 2022, TN Flight Silver (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
Chinwendu Irondi, 6-1, power forward, 2021, Maryland’s Finest 2021 (Pomfret, Maryland)
Kenna Kirby, 5-7, shooting guard, 2022, Indiana Showcase Kirby (Pittsboro, Indiana)
Mya McGraw, 6-2, center, 2021, SMAC Florida 2021 Vega (Gainesville. Florida)
Nia Melvin, 5-7, point guard, 2021, Team Miller 2021 – Rinehold (Plainfield, New Jersey)
Iyana Moore, 5-9, point guard, 2021, Team B. Wright 2021 Gold (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
Skye Owen, 5-7, point guard, 2022, IExcel 2021 – Zetta (Staten Island, New York)
Mickayla Perdue, 5-8, point guard, 2021, WV Thunder 2021 Lupardus (Springfield, Ohio)
Jasmyne Roberts, 5-9, forward, 2021, FGB Team LaDazhia Williams – 9th (Yulee, Florida)
Shyanne Sellers, 6-2, point guard, 2021, SMAC Ballers (Aurora, Ohio)
Aunisty Smith, 5-10, forward, 2022, Oklahoma Team Pink Phenom (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Kristin Sterling, 5-10, shooting guard, 2021, Maryland Lady Comets – Team Speaks (Baltimore, Maryland)
Jaelyn Talley, 5-10, power forward, 2022, PV Vogues 2022 (Round Hill, Virginia)
Taris Thornton, 5-11, forward, 2021, Illinois Lady Lightning Silver (Lombard, Illinois)
Aaliyah Vananda, 5-7, point guard, 2021, Flight Select Navy 2021 (Maryville, Tennessee)
Sacha Washington, 6-1, power forward, 2021, FBC Hoopstars Brown (Lilburn, Georgia)
