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One Westerville MLK Classic: Top Performers

By Emma Ervin, 01/18/21, 9:00PM EST

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A look at the top performers from the One Westerville MLK Classic

WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Westerville North hosted the inaugural One Westerville MLK Classic where we caught both girls games on Monday. The event was established to support the One Westerville Scholarship which was created to raise awareness for equality issues seen in the Westerville community. 

Let's take a quick look at the results of the games and the top performers.

Gahanna Lincoln 63, Westerville South 56
Westerville North 48, Whitehall Yearling 41

Laila Marshall (5’8 G / Gahanna Lincoln / 2023) - Marshall is starting to take on a larger role for the Lions and she is handling the responsibility well. After scoring 15 on Saturday, she hit for a career high of 27 against Westerville South this afternoon. She scores at all levels and is making excellent decisions off the bounce. Her handle is getting tighter which is making her even more dangerous in transition. If Marshall continues to improve at this rate, she could be one of the best guards in the state. We covered her older brother Aaron Jackson, who played collegiately at Akron and East Carolina, in the very early days of 270 Hoops.

Charia Smith (6’2 C / Westerville North / 2022) - Smith brings a lot to the table at the center position for Westerville North. She is long, athletic, quick and versatile, proving to be a tough assignment for other centers. She works for position, boxes out and rebounds well but one of her biggest impacts is her ability to tip rebounds and passes. Smith continues to prove that she is a great prospect in the 2022 class.  The 6-foot-2 junior already has an offer from Chattanooga. 

Clarke Jackson (5’10 G / Gahanna Lincoln / 2023) - Jackson, another young guard for the Lions, is a much needed and well utilized role player. She provides great impact on defense by locking down an opposing guard, on the glass and with her unselfish passing. Her presence on the court offers Gahanna Lincoln another scorer as she went for ten today. She is lengthy which has proven to be problematic for opposing guards. She forces lots of turnovers which lead to easy baskets for the Lions. As Jackson continues to develop, her stock will continue to rise.

Jewel Watkins (5’11 G / Whitehall / 2021) - Watkins, a Coppin State commit, is unbelievably quick and athletic. The senior can score from any level, at any time. She has a nice first step and if she gets loose in transition, good luck catching her. After Charjae Brock went down with a knee injury, Watkins single handedly kept Whitehall in the game in the fourth quarter. Watkins’ athletic ability gives her a lot of potential which is why Coppin had to have her. 

Kayla Curry-Brown (5’6 G / Westerville North / 2023) - Curry-Brown is a do-er. She gets EVERYTHING done for the Warriors. Today, her two steals and layups gave North the lead and her free throw shooting kept the lead for good. She has a high motor, makes a big impact on defense and is the conduit for the Warriors offense. She can score in a variety of ways, has a nice outside shot and finishes well in tough situations. Her high IQ and workhorse mentality give her huge upside and potential to be one of the top guards in the area in the 2023 class.  

Charjae Brock (5’8 G / Whitehall / 2021) - Brock, a Clarion commit and Africentric transfer, is a huge part of the puzzle this year for Whitehall. She handles the ball well and gives relentless effort on the defensive end as a major disruptor. Her efforts in the second and third quarters were huge to keep the Rams in the game. Her scoring ability is a major part of the Rams’ offense and we hope that she does not miss much time with her knee injury. She has the potential to make Clarion better the moment she touches the floor. Whitehall looked like they were in prime position to hand Westerville North their first loss of the season before Brock went out with the injury.

Bella Ward (6'0 F / Gahanna Lincoln / 2022): We are fully convinced Ward gives opposing defenders nightmares. Bella carried Saturday’s effort straight into today's game against Westerville South. 

Aja Austin (6’1 C / Westerville South / 2021) - Austin continues to be one of the most unstoppable players in the area. After a 30 point performance on Saturday, she dropped 25 today, mostly on second chance points. Austin is one of our favorite players in the area this season. 

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