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Girls Division I District Finals: Top Performers

By Zach Fleer, 03/03/19, 8:45PM EST

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Breaking down the top performers from the Division I district finals

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio Dominican was the host to four action-packed district final games on Saturday at the Division I level. As Pickerington Central, Reynoldsburg, Westerville South and Newark took home district titles, Saturday's slate offered the chance to watch the litany of the area talent in the girls basketball game.

Let's take a look at the top performers from the day. 


Maliya Perry (5'11 WF / Pickerington Central / 2019): If there are 100 better seniors than Perry in the country, we would like to see them. Perry thoroughly dominated Olentangy Liberty in Pickerington Central's fourth-straight district title win, finishing with 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. The 5-foot-11 point forward has an elite IQ, plays with great toughness, can make any shot on the floor and has incredible passing vision. Perry plays with genuine toughness and has a great motor, which really makes things go for Central. Her mid-range game is relentless and she can play and defend multiple positions. We see her making an impact early on at Auburn next winter as we would take her on any college team in America.

Signed to Auburn

Gabby Hutcherson (6'2 WF / Westerville South / 2020): The Ohio State commit put all of her intriguing tools together in Westerville South's district title win over Gahanna, going for 16 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks. Hutcherson has incredible upside as a long and versatile wing that can play and defend on the perimeter and in the post. Hutcherson knocked down four threes, showing off a quick trigger release and was even better defensively, blocking four shots and disrupting what Gahanna looked to do offensively. As Hutcherson adds more weight to her lengthy frame, she is going to become an even more dangerous weapon. She has the potential to be a Swiss Army Knife type defensive player with a knockdown shooting stroke.

Committed to Ohio State

Uju Ezeudu (6'0 PF / Reynoldsburg / 2019): There may not have been a tougher post presence in the gym on Saturday than Ezeudu. Dominating the low post, Ezeudu powered through contact all afternoon long, going for 20 points and 11 rebounds in Reynoldsburg's district title win over Upper Arlington. Ezeudu plays with a great motor, is tough as nails, has the strength and thick frame to finish through bodies in the post and even showed the ability to step outside and knock down the three-point jumper from the corner. Not many teams have a matchup for Ezeudu's size and strength in the post, as she can power through lighter forward on the block while having the quickness to get by heavier posts on the perimeter. 

Signed to Denver

Katie Shumate (5'11 WG / Newark / 2019): There is just something about the Shumate family and producing long, versatile wings with polished offensive games. Much like her older brother JT Shumate, who is currently dominating Division II basketball as a true freshman at Walsh, Katie Shumate is a big-time wing guard who can absolutely play. Going for 18 points and four rebounds in Newark's district title win over Bishop Watterson, Shumate was a dangerous weapon off the bounce, using her quickness and length to get by defenders and finish at the rim. Shumate has a great ability to create shots for herself, while having the IQ and poise to play within Newark's offense that thrives on ball movement. The 5-foot-11 wing is a knockdown shooter, both off the catch and off the dribble, as well as a talented ball handler that can get to the rim and create for herself and others. 

Signed to Kent State

Macy Spielman (5'10 WG / Upper Arlington / 2019): Spielman exudes confidence and personality, as she gave Upper Arlington all she had in a district title loss to Reynoldsburg. Finishing with 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists and three steals, Spielman showed great shot-making ability, knocking down two threes while also proving to be a tough one-on-one matchup as a ball handler. With a strong frame that she uses to power through opposing defenders, Spielman could not be denied off the bounce, as she was the only player on the Upper Arlington roster capable of creating offense for herself and others. The daughter of Ohio State football legend Chris Spielman, Macy Spielman has her dad's toughness, as she dove on the floor for loose balls, went up in traffic for rebounds, defended with great passion and was not afraid of contact when going to the rim. Spielman has quality size on the wing and three-level scoring ability to go along with her elite motor that will make her a quality college player. 

Signed to Bowling Green

Madison Greene (5'7 PG / Pickerington Central / 2019): Greene is the straw that stirs the drink for the defending state champion Pickerington Central. While she didn't really have to score to make an impact in a district title win over Olentangy Liberty that was never really close, Greene dominated on the defensive end of the floor, snatching five steals and helping the Tigers cause havoc on the Patriots. Greene is an elite on and off ball defender that gives hell to any team that doesn't have reliable ball handlers, as she can pick your pocket in one-on-one situations and thrives in the passing lanes off ball. On the offensive end, Greene has an elite change of pace handle, as she doesn't let her size hinder her, showing an array of offensive finishing moves at the rim. Greene is a knockdown jump shooter that can play on and off the ball, while possessing an elite IQ and will to win that helps make Central the top state title threat in Division I. Penn State is getting an absolute floor general in Greene. 

Signed to Penn State

Teegan Pifher (6'0 WF / Olentangy Liberty / 2020): The Miami (OH) commit was Olentangy Liberty's only offensive threat against a very good Pickerington Central defense on Saturday. Finishing with a team-high nine points to go along with three rebounds and two blocks, Pifher scored it in multiple ways, knocking down a three, a mid-range jumper and finishing two scores at the rim. Pifher has quality length, shooting ability and toughness. We like her upside on the defensive end, as she can defend multiple positions and played with toughness and energy throughout, despite a lopsided loss. 

Committed to Miami (OH)

Destiny Fields (5'9 WG / Reynoldsburg / 2019): Cash. That is a way to describe Fields' shooting from three on Saturday. Leading the Raiders with 21 points in its district title win over Upper Arlington, Fields was absolutely deadly shooting off the catch. Knocking down four threes, Fields stretched UA's defense, as the Golden Bears had no matchup for her or Ezeudu. Fields played a solid all-around game, adding three rebounds, three assists and three steals. With her and Ezeudu accounting for 41 of Reynoldsburg's 61 points, the Raiders will need another big performance from its star senior duo in order to take down a tough Newark team in the regional semifinals on Tuesday.

Edyn Battle (5'7 CG / Gahanna / 2020): The star of Gahanna's district semifinal upset over Dublin Coffman last week, Battle didn't take a step back in the district title loss to Westerville South. The 5-foot-7 guard is an absolute warrior, as she competes as well as any player we watched on Saturday. On a Gahanna team that had a clear size disadvantage against the 'Cats, Battle gave the Lions all she had, finishing with 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Handling the ball and creating plenty of offense, Battle showed off a high IQ, strong passing vision and great decision making in the ball screen game. Battle took advantage of switches in those sets, finding mismatches and burying threes over late close outs from slower defenders. Battle is a deadly shooter off the dribble and off the catch, while having the toughness to take it to the rim against length where she has shown an ability to finish through contact. With nearly its entire roster coming back next season, Gahanna should be a strong threat to win a district title behind the talented Battle in the backcourt. 

Offers from Marshall and Akron

Aja Austin (6'0 C / Westerville South / 2021): If Ezeudu was the best post presence on Saturday, Austin wasn't far behind. The 6-foot post was outstanding in Westerville South's win over Gahanna, finishing with 14 points, 10 rebounds and a block. Austin started off hot, nailing a deep three to begin the game. From that point forward, Austin was a load on the block, as she finished five shots from mid-range and in, giving Westerville South yet another offensive weapon that Gahanna just did not have a matchup for. Only a sophomore, look for Austin to continue to get better from this point forward. 

Offer from Detroit Mercy

Morgan Sharps (5'10 WG / Newark / 2019): One of the best shooters in the senior class, Sharps showed off her prowess from behind the arc in Newark's district title win over Bishop Watterson. Going for 14 points, Sharps knocked down three triples and showed more creation ability off the bounce than the last viewing we had of her against Africentric. Sharps plays with great confidence, as she is a perfect fit for Newark's offensive scheme, as she can play both on and off the ball. Sharps had a strong defensive showing against the Eagles, adding a game-high three steals and helping Newark force several costly turnovers that ultimately broke the game open in the third quarter. 

Signed to Miami (OH)

Kilyn McGuff (5'11 WF / Bishop Watterson / 2021): In a game where offense was hard to come by for Watterson, McGuff was a reliable threat from the mid-range area for the Eagles. Finishing with a team-high eight points and six rebounds, McGuff was a bright spot for Watterson, knocking down a trio of free throw line jumpers against a tough Newark defense. McGuff is a versatile wing forward that blocks shots on the defensive end and can score in a variety of ways offensively. The daughter of Ohio State women's coach Kevin McGuff, Kilyn McGuff plays with great poise and has a strong IQ to accompany her intriguing length and offensive skill set. 

Morgan Darnell (5'5 PG / Gahanna / 2020): Darnell was one of the very best ball handlers that we watched on Saturday, as she keeps it on a string and can get hot in a hurry. The junior guard finished with 16 points, knocking down three triples and adding two strong finishes at the rim. On the defensive end, Darnell got it done as well, adding a game-high five steals. We really like Gahanna's junior backcourt duo of Darnell and Battle, as both are tough guards with multi-level scoring ability. Look for Gahanna to be one of the area favorites next season, as the Lions also have two intriguing freshmen forwards in Bella Ward and Gabby Anderson to go along with its backcourt duo. 

Offer from Youngstown State

Sommer Pitzer (5'3 PG / Westerville South / 2019): Becoming Westerville South's all-time leading scorer in Saturday's district title win over Gahanna, Pitzer added to what has already been an amazing career. While the smallest player on the floor, Pitzer played with the most heart, as she was outstanding in all areas of the game, finishing with 12 points, seven assists and four steals. Pitzer has blazing open floor speed and is a talented ball handler with great vision and passing ability. With Pitzer running the show, Westerville South is a dangerous offensive team busting at the seams with talent. Signed to Indiana State, Pitzer is a legitimate floor general that makes the players around her better. We were really impressed with Pitzer and senior Peyton Guice, who also added seven assists. We could talk about the entire 'Cats starting five, as junior Anyssa Jones also had a strong showing with 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. As you can see, Westerville South has plenty of firepower, but nobody makes them go more than Pitzer. 

Signed to Indiana State

COVER PHOTO PROVIDED BY MITCH BROWN OF CENTRAL OHIO PHOTOGRAPHY. FOR ALL OF YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY NEEDS, GO WITH central ohio photography! you can contact mitch on twitter @sportspicsohio or online at centralohiophoto.com

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