D-1 recruits and fab freshman: 12 players to watch in the Section 4 girls hoops tournament
Section 4's girls basketball tournament gets started this week, with teams eying sectional finals the opening weekend of March.
Here are 12 players to watch in the Section 4 postseason.
Sophia Bonnell, Horseheads
One of the purest jump shots in Section 4 belongs to Bonnell, who elevates the Blue Raiders to another level when her 3-point shot is falling. She leads repeat STAC tournament champion Horseheads in scoring at 16 points per contest.
Ellie Clearwater, Elmira
Clearwater’s ability to hit from 3-point land is a big weapon for the Express. She averages 14 points per game and shares the team lead in steals at 3.1 per contest.
Adriana Fontana, Union-Endicott
Fontana was a sixth-team Class A all-state selection last season after helping the Tigers capture the sectional championship. Her play has helped U-E to the No. 2 seed in Class AA this season.
Makana “Cha” Gardner, Newark Valley
The Cardinals’ all-time scoring leader knocked off the program standard established 38 years ago. A Stephen F. Austin U. commit, she is considered among Section 4’s finest.
Entering the postseason, she averaged 21.4 points per game on 58-percent shooting from the field, 13.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Oh, and there are those 3.4 blocks and 2.6 steals per game.
Brianna Hatch and Rachel Vickio, Watkins Glen
This high-scoring sophomore duo both earned Interscholastic Athletic Conference South Large School first-team honors and are part of the Lake Hawks’ best season since capturing four sectional titles in five years from 2015 to 2019.
Payton Littlefield, Thomas A. Edison
Littlefield this season became the leading boys or girls scorer in Edison history and had long since topped the school’s chart for successful 3-point tries. She is averaging just under 25 points per game this season with nearly 500 points.
Mariah Matias, Elmira
The 5-foot-10 freshman forward has made an impact since the start of the season and has continued to get even better as the campaign has progressed. Her averages of 16.2 points, 14.4 rebounds and 3.1 steals top the Express.
Marisa Smith, Johnson City
She scored 19 of the Wildcats’ 45 points in a regular season-ending win against Union-Endicott to clinch STAC’s Metro Division championship. The 6-foot-2 senior is capable on the block, on the perimeter and anywhere between. She’ll play next at Binghamton University.
Charlise Starns, Corning
Starns is a 6-foot-3 freshman forward who has shown the ability to dominate games at times with her size and skill. Her impact could go a long way in deciding whether Corning can beat the Express for the first time in try No. 3.
Maggie Warpus, Chenango Forks
This long and lean sophomore, on the radar of Division I collegiate programs, led the Blue Devils to within a point of Horseheads in pursuit of the program’s first STAC championship since 1991.
Offensive production is on display regularly from the interior to, say, a couple strides beyond the three-point arc.
Megan Wolf, Horseheads
Wolf’s athleticism and stellar play on the defensive end is complemented by a strong offensive game that has produced better than 14 points per game this season to rank No. 2 on the team.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Players to Watch from Section 4 in the girls basketball postseason
