Lady Phenom Hoops was on the road and looking to check out some talent around the state of North Carolina. On Tuesday night, we checked in at Rocky Mount, as they welcomed in Roanoke Rapids. Rocky Mount has been off to a strong start, but this was our first glimpse of what this team had to offer.
They quickly came out and impressed, jumping out to an impressive 24-4 first-quarter lead behind their guard play and defense. And they were only able to build upon that impressive lead in the second quarter, walking into the locker room with a 45-8 lead. Second half, it was more of Rocky Mount showing how strong they can be in the paint, using a very balanced attack.
The second half was much like the first half, as Rocky Mount continued to take complete control and expand its lead to a running clock in the third quarter, and eventually took home the convincing 82-15 victory.
Final: Rocky Mount 82 – Roanoke Rapids 15
Stats:
RM: Caroline Thiel 24pts, Kira Jones 12pts, Nyla Powell 14pts, Madison Mitchell 10pts
RR: Shaniah Daniels 9pts
Standouts/ Notes:
2026 Kira Jones (Rocky Mount): Jones has had a solid year so far and she quickly caught out attention with her play. Only a freshman, Jones did a great job in being active, getting out in transition, and playing with a terrific motor. She really pushed the pace and attacked the defense, making good decisions, getting downhill, and also being a scrappy defender.
2023 Caroline Thiel (Rocky Mount): Thiel has been strong all season long with her ability to score the ball and showed that early and often. Thiel does a great job in moving without the ball and finding the open spots, whether it is with her range but also knocking down shots inside. A fluid, confident release, she does a great job in finding ways to get her shots.
2023 Nyla Powell and 2023 Shileyia Williams (Rocky Mount) were a force in the paint and could be what makes this team dangerous; with those two carving out space and finishing in the paint, along with the team’s perimeter play, Rocky Mount is able to bring a balanced attack.
It was a rough day overall for Roanoke Rapids, but 2025 Shaniah Daniels was able to use her length and be productive in the paint and stepping out at times. A young forward that has good size and played well inside the arc. 2023 Skyler Wade also grabbed my attention with her versatility on the floor. She had her hands in everything on the floor, whether it was handling, creating, facilitating, rebounding, or looking to score. Rough day stat-wise but she showed she is the clear leader on the court for this team.