Phenom Hoops was sitting baseline for a great day of basketball at the Queen City Classic, which brought several teams to Northside Christian to square off. Second game of the day brought two very talented teams to the floor with NC GBB and Cannon going at it.
NC GBB was able to take the early narrow lead at the end of the first quarter, leading 12-10. But Cannon started to get it going offensively behind their senior leader Samyha Suffren and others, using a balanced attack and picking up the energy on both ends. It is what helped take a two-point deficit at the end of the first to a seven-point lead at halftime, 27-20.
Cannon came out just as strong early on to eventually build their lead to double digits early in the third, but 2023 Maya Robinson and NC GBB started to get things rolling, getting out in transition and making strong plays defensively. Though NC GBB was able to cut the lead in half, Cannon was able to respond nicely to maintain their cushion after three, 41-32.
It was a back-and-forth type feel throughout the fourth quarter, but Cannon was able to maintain their cushion throughout, eventually walking away with a strong 63-53 victory.
Final: Cannon 63- NC GBB 53
Stats:
Cannon: Jamyrah Cherry 16pts, Lili Booker 14pts, Samyha Suffren 9pts
GBB: Maddie Pounds 21pts, Maya Robinson 13pts, Jordan Speller 6pts
Standouts:
2023 Samyha Suffren (Cannon): The Virginia Tech commit was strong in helping lead the charge for her team. Suffren is such a strong, physical player on the court that reads the floor, plays at a terrific pace, is able to get inside and finish through defenders, and competes on both ends of the floor. Was really impressed with how strong she is on the floor and her ability to create and get to the line.
2024 Maddie Pounds (NC GBB): Pounds really stepped up for her team today, playing hard and displaying a nice ability to be effective scoring from multiple levels on the floor. But also was strong and active on the boards, got to the line, showed a nice ability to stretch with her outside shot or put on the floor and create.
2024 Lili Booker (Cannon): Booker played well in being able to create and make plays off the dribble, setting up her teammates well in the first half, and then being more of a scoring threat in the second half. Did an excellent job in creating off the dribble, showing how shifty she can be with the ball in her hands. But she also got it going in the second half with her ability to knock down shots and score in transition.