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Circleville 46, Bloom-Carroll 32 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Zach Fleer , 12/08/20, 10:45PM EST

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Circleville remained unbeaten with a good win over Bloom-Carroll

CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio -- In a matchup between the remaining unbeaten teams in the MSL-Buckeye, defending champion Circleville (3-0) reigned supreme against upstart Bloom-Carroll (3-1), 46-32.

The senior laden Tigers relied on 26 combined points from Jaylah Captain and Kenzie McConnell to keep Bloom-Carroll at bay, despite a very strong performance from stud freshman Bulldogs guard Emily Bratton.

Circleville commanded an early lead, going up by as much as nine points in the first half. Bratton stymied the run with a half court buzzer beater to close the gap to 24-18 at the break.

In the third quarter, Captain and McConnell took over, helping the Tigers stretch the lead to 11 points at the end of the period. Bloom-Carroll began the final frame on a 4-0 run to cut the deficit to seven, however, that was the closest the Bulldogs would get the rest of the way as Circleville hit the tough shots and got the stops they needed to roll to a 14-point win.

Captain led the way with 15 points on a handful of tough drives to the basket. McConnell added 11 points and what seemed like a dozen rebounds. The 6-foot Ashland commit locked down the paint with her tough interior defense, which essentially shut down anything Bloom-Carroll looked to do in the low post.

For Bloom-Carroll, Bratton led the way with 10 points and a handful of assist. The freshman guard commands the game at the point guard position better than any player we've seen all year long, setting up plenty of opportunities for herself and her teammates. 

Junior guard Reese Pittman added nine points, while no other Bloom-Carroll player added more than five points in the game.

Circleville will look to remain unbeaten when they hit the road to take on Liberty Union on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Tigers have won 22-straight MSL-Buckeye games, not losing since a 55-53 defeat to Teays Valley on Jan. 15, 2019.

For Bloom-Carroll, the Bulldogs will look to get back to their winning ways when they host Teays Valley on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Emily Bratton (5'7 PG / Bloom-Carroll / 2024): To keep it simply, Bratton is SPECIAL. The 5-foot-7 point guard has an elite skill set and played extremely well against a Circleville team that has won 30 of its last 31 games. Handling all point guard duties and playing all 32 minutes, Bratton was the sole source of offense for Bloom-Carroll, creating her own offense off the bounce and utilizing her wicked tight handle to create separation. Bratton has elite vision, patience and understanding of the offensive game, finding open teammates and managing the ball screen game like a seasoned veteran. Bratton has special anticipation ability that is extremely hard to come by for underclassmen, as she was able to read the defense a step ahead of the action. As a scorer, Bratton can get into the paint whenever she wants and also has a quick trigger three-point shot that she knocked in twice. Words can't do Bratton's talent justice, as you'll have to watch the video from Tuesday's game to really get a grasp for how advanced she is as a point guard. Defensively, Bratton plays with great passion and toughness, coming up with steals, tough rebounds and deflections. Her off ball defense is elite, as she was constantly in the right place at the right time and did an outstanding job as a communicator for her team. Bratton is someone this area will have to get used to, as she will have a chance to put together an amazing four year career. 

Jaylah Captain (5'8 WG / Circleville / 2021): Captain is one of the more talented ball handlers and scorers that we've watched so far this season. Leading the game with 15 points, Captain used her shifty, explosive handle to keep defenders off balance and get into the paint. Once she got there, Captain was able to finish at a high level, converting a handful of floaters and layups. She also stretched the floor with her three-point shot and was active on the defensive end, coming up with a few steals. Captain is the perfect guard compliment to McConnell on the interior, as the senior duo really balances each other out.

Kenzie McConnell (6'0 PF / Circleville / 2021): McConnell is an absolute paint beast that controls the glass and is a brick wall on the low post. The Ashland commit completely locked up Bloom-Carroll on the block, as her interior defensive instincts, strength and discipline are outstanding, helping her force several stops while only picking up a single foul. On the offensive side of the ball, McConnell has a high IQ and great patience, as she handled double and triple teams to perfection, firing bullet passes to open shooters. Due to her size and strength, McConnell can really finish through contact and even showed the ability to stretch the floor with a single made three-point make. After earning first-team all-state honors as a junior, McConnell is well on her way to duplicating those accolades this season.

Faith Yancey (5'5 G / Circleville / 2024): Yancey is a young guard in the Circleville program with plenty of promise. She showed the ability to knock down perimeter shots off the catch and was even able to take her defender off the drive on a closeout for a nice finish at the basket. Yancey has good quickness and burst and a quick trigger with her jump shot. On an older Circleville team with plenty of firepower, Yancey is a reliable secondary scoring threat that will have a chance to put up bigger numbers over the next three years.

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