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2022 Blue Star High School Invitational Standouts (Jan. 8 at Jefferson)

01/09/2023, 11:15am EST
By CoBL Staff

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)

EAST FALLS — The CoBL staff spent all day Sunday at Jefferson University, where the Blue Star Invitational brought 30 teams to East Falls — some of the best from the area, along with top teams from Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, D.C. and Virginia.

While buzzing around the gym all day, the CoBL staff couldn't catch EVERY game, but here’s who stood out in front of the CoBL staff during the action we took in on Sunday from 9 a.m. all the way until the final game of the day:


Immaculate Conception's Tyonna Bailey, left, drives on Riverdale Baptist's Kamari Sims. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Tyonna Bailey  (2023 | Immaculate Conception, N.J.)
The 5-11 senior guard , who is a St. John’s commit, showed why she will be playing Division I hoops next season. Bailey’s shot was hitting on all cylinders, finishing with 17 points to lead her team to a 60-55 win over Riverside Baptist. Bailey was able to get to the paint and lane at will with ease on multiple occasions, using her crafty ability of crossovers and spin moves while leaving her defenders guessing. Bailey’s ability to drive to the basket contributed to getting fouled and converting at the free throw line. She also presented a smooth outside jumper. Bailey hit three 3-pointers by a mix of catch-and-shoot and from creating her own shot off the dribble. Another thing that stands out is her leadership talking to her teammates, urging them to talk to each other on defense and bringing constant energy throughout the game. She is a main factor to why the Lions have an undefeated season and will be a great addition for St. John’s next year. 

Jezelle Banks (2027 | Ursuline, Del.)
Banks is only an eighth grader, but she put her team on her shoulders in a comeback win over Neumann-Goretti on Sunday. She finished with 26 points and a pair of assists, most impressively coming up clutch for the Raiders with 13 points in the fourth quarter. With her team trailing in the fourth, she reeled off nine straight points — two threes and an and-one — to put her squad ahead. The young guard doesn’t blink with the ball in her hands as she plays at her own speed, not letting the defense speed her up. She can hang in the air to finish on both sides of the basket. Her touch around the rim and on floaters would be advanced for a player several years her senior. The shooting ability, particularly off the bounce, and confidence are rare traits as well. 

Colleen Besachio (2026 | Upper Dublin)
A 9 a.m. tip meant everyone started a little slow in the event’s first game but Besachio kept plugging away and ended up taking home game MVP honors for her efforts. The 5-foot-10 forward tallied a game-high 19 points and posted a double-double by adding 12 rebounds, two assists, three blocks and a steal for good measure. With her ability to handle the ball and attack from the perimeter or high post, Besachio also made a living at the foul line, totaling 11 attempts and knocking in nine of them.

Mikayla Blakes (2024 | Rutgers Prep, N.J.)
Blakes finished with 18 points in her team’s loss to a loaded McDonogh School squad on Sunday. It looked like she might help rally her squad from a double-digit deficit, but a few too many looks didn’t roll her team’s way. Blakes, a 5-8 guard with high major offers, is a lethal scorer on the offensive end. She has a nice looking shooting stroke and can change her speeds or use a dribble move to break down the D. She showed off her offensive wit with a backdoor cut for a bucket when the defense started to bear down. Blakes constantly put pressure on the McDonogh defense, going 7-for-7 from the line in the game.


Neumann-Goretti's Carryn Easley had 11 points against Ursuline on Sunday. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Carryn Easley (2025 | Neumann-Goretti)
The 5-3 sophomore guard may have suffered a loss at the hands of Ursuline Academy, but she still shined with a commanding presence on the floor as the point guard. Easley finished with 11 points in the game and also added four assists and a pair of steals. Easley played a strong game on the court, despite being a smaller player. She stayed dashing to the rim and was able to finish with and without defenders on her. She was also able to step outside and knock down a three.  As a second-year player, she also showed potential in being a great playmaker, as she kept putting her fellow guards in position to make easy shots. With only one senior on the team this year, Easley has a big role by averaging 9.7 points per game so far into the year and seems to want to make a big jump from her freshman year. 

Deja Evans (2023 | Archbishop Wood)
Wood really spread the love around in a 55-26 win over Manasquan (N.J.), but Evans was right in the middle of it the whole way through. The 6-1 forward and Albany commit  was a force in the post, grabbing 11 rebounds, including five on the offensive end; she turned a few of those into put-back buckets, including a three-point play, and also hit a catch-and-shoot triple of her own. Evans also showed she was a good passer out of the post, only registering one assist on a kick-out for a triple, but she made several other good passes when she didn’t have a good chance at a second look. Evans runs the floor well and her conditioning allowed her to be as strong at the end of the game as it was at the beginning.

Autumn Fleary (2026 | McDonogh School, Md.)
The speedy 5-8 guard helped seal her team’s impressive victory over Rutgers Prep with several fastbreak scores. Fleary, who already holds offers from Syracuse, Georgetown and George Washington, is a menace in the open court. She helps spring herself by being aggressive on the defensive end and also breaks out to give her teammates an easy assist as well. The freshman guard also proved capable of scoring with the defense in front of her as well, earning several trips to the line and finishing through contact and using a eurostep to get around the defense. 

Logyn Greer (2025 | Friends’ Central)
The sophomore post made things tough for Spring-Ford on both ends of the floor, posting a game-high 15 points on offense and using her length and athleticism to bother plenty of shots around the rim. With outside shots not falling, the Rams tried to get things going inside only to find Greer there to deter them with the forward usually pulling down the miss for good measure, collecting eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal. 

Katie Halligan (2023 | Notre Dame)
In an all-around team win against Imhotep to kick things off on court 2, the 5’10 forward stood out most for the Irish. Halligan anchored the defense by contesting shots and rebounding inside to limit second-chance points. Offensively, she showed versatility and skill. Besides using her agility to attack from the lowpost, Halligan used her face-up game too. She threatened the defense from the mid-range with elbow jumpers and by slashing to the basket.


Paul VI's Hannah Hidalgo poured in 41 points in a win over Morris Catholic. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Hannah Hidalgo (2023 | Paul VI, N.J.)
Hidalgo, HoopGurlz No. 5 player in the Class of 2023 and a Notre Dame commit, put on a show for those who stayed around for the final game at Jefferson on Sunday. Hidalgo converted 11 straight buckets for 28 first-half points, concluding the show with a buzzer beater 3-point shot. After outsourcing Morris Catholic by herself in the first half, the 5-8 guard finished with 41 points in the game along with nine steals, six boards and a couple assists. She converted jumpers, floaters, fastbreak layups and buckets through contact. Everything went in. She’s a talented distributor as well and probably could have had a handful of more assists. Her non-stop effort on both ends stuck out as she dove for loose balls, jumped in passing lanes, poked away dribbles and made her presence felt on the glass. Each big play for Paul VI was celebrated with a flex from their star guard, even into the fourth quarter.

Hannah Kelly (2023 | Ursuline Academy, Del.)
The 5-8 senior forward was a contributing factor in a 66-55 win against Neumann Goretti. Kelly scored nine points by a combination of layups right around the basket and free throws. She showed her physicality as one of the tallest players on the floor, battling a smaller team in Neumann. Her scoring wasn’t the catch of her game though, it was her resilient defense. She locked down the paint with two thunderous blocks, sending the basketball all over the gym like she does while playing volleyball as an outside hitter. Her defensive prowess made her teammates hyped to push the momentum on the offensive end, along with Kelly dishing the ball to the other bigs on the team, forwarding Ursuline Academy to victory to remain undefeated in her senior season.

Azareya Kilgoe (2023 | Sanford, Del.)
The unsigned senior guard led her Warriors to a big win over Audenried with 17 points. Kilgoe weaved through the defense, using her speed to lead fastbreaks and get where she wanted in the halfcourt. She paired that with touch inside the paint, making push shots and floaters. She also knocked down a pair of threes, smoothly going between the legs and stepping back behind the line on one make. Additionally, Kilgore racked five assists, connecting with sophomore wing Jada Snow on her two threes. She’s under the radar for now, but will make an excellent floor general for a college team next fall.

Zahra King (2024 | Westtown)
The Moose were locked into a tough contest with a talented Shabach Christian. Westtown would get to a comfortable lead but couldn’t put them away. SC went on a run coming out of the half. Then Westtown turned to their junior guard. Not only did she settle her team, she took over the game from that moment on. On identical, back-to-back possessions, King beat her defender off-the-dribble and finished through contact and converting the and-one. Eight of her 19 points came from the charity stripe with another eight at the rim. As dominant as she was, it’s no wonder that “ZK from BK” is being recruited by the nation’s best.

Kate Koval (2024 | Long Island Lutheran, N.Y.) 
Koval was a beast in LUHI’s dominant 63-36 win over Georgetown Visitation (Md.). One of the country’s top prospects, the 6-foot-4 center lived up to the hype, enforcing her will on the glass and displaying a soft shooting touch around the rim. The junior who has offers and interest from multiple power 5 programs and registered a 15 point, 11 rebound double-double. Koval is a bruiser in the paint who can finish through contact and knockdown free throws (5-6 FT). Her imposing presence on the defensive end disrupts a shooters’ confidence and focus, while staying out of foul trouble. 

Megan Ngo (2026 | Upper Dublin)
The other half of the Flying Cardinals’ freshman duo kept the pace of their game with West Catholic at the perfect tempo, slowing it down when needed and picking her spots for a burst of speed to the rim. Ngo stuffed an all-around line with 13 points, two rebounds, four assists, two steals and even stepped in for a couple of charges to power a wire-to-wire lead for Upper Dublin.


Shabach Christian's Laila Reynolds led her team with 13 points Sunday. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Laila Reynolds (2023 | Shabach Christian Academy, Md.)
At 6’0, Reynolds has the size to be a good prospect on the wing. But she has the agility and handle of a guard. All game against Westtown, she put pressure on the rim with her ability to take her defender off-the-bounce and get inside. Her determination on drives also put pressure on the refs, drawing fouls. The Florida-signee led SC with just 13 points, but her slashing created space for her teammates and kept them in the game.

Alexis Rosenfeld (2024 | Morris Catholic, N.J.)
Lost in a lopsided loss to Paul VI was a really impressive outing from Rosenfeld. The 6-3 forward scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked a pair of shots. She made things easy for her guards by gravitating toward open space in the lane and also cleaned up the offensive glass and used a handful of post moves to create offense for herself. Rosenfeld is a disciplined defender, staying straight up to avoid unneeded fouls. Along with her two blocks, she certainly impacted the shots of most Paul VI players not named Hannah Hidalgo.

Molly Rullo (2025| Cardinal O’Hara)
The 5-foot-11 wing had an excellent game against George School, scoring 14 points in a 46-28 win. She scored at all three levels, taking advantage of lanes in the paint to finish inside, pulling up from mid-range, and even knocking one down from three-point land. When Rullo drives, her aggressiveness and size forces her defender to foul her and she capitalizes at the charity stripe, going 3-for-4. She has the keys to O'Hara's offense, but also contributes on the glass and shutdown George’s 6-foot-3 Priyanka Ponnam (6 points) on the defensive end. 

Amya Scott (2025 | Neumann-Goretti)
Even in a loss, the other half of the Saints’ sophomore backcourt deserved recognition as well. The 5-3 lefty poured in 20 points against Ursuline and added four assists and two steals to her stat line. Scott drilled a pair of threes, but did most of her damage in the lane. She converted tough shot after shot in the paint despite a strong defensive presence. She forced a few looks, but made some terrific passes as well, showing great court vision as she connected with her teammates by wrapping around or above the defense. She and Easley will be a fun duo to watch grow throughout the rest of this season and the next two years.

Kamari Sims (2023 | Riverdale Baptist, Md.)
A lot of forwards like to talk about their ability to step out and hit the long ball, but Sims is a true stretch forward. She knocked down a pair of threes in Sunday’s game against and has a crisp efficient form on the deep ball. The 6-foot forward, who is committed to George Washington, is also a force inside. She controlled the glass against Immaculate Conception and carved out space for herself inside for several easy buckets.

Shayla Smith (2025 | Audenried)
Rocking number 24, Smith embodied “Bean” Bryant with her shot-making. The sophomore guard scored the majority of her 18 points from 15 feet out. She knocked down two pull-up threes that gave her team a boost. Smith’s mid-range game was just as potent, dribbling into makes from there too. Sanford jumping out to an early lead didn’t disengage her from the defensive end. She had multiple steals and blocks as well.


Penn Charter's Aleah Snead reached the 1,000-point milestone during a 23-point effort on Sunday. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Aleah Snead (2023 | Penn Charter)
Snead, a St. Joe’s commit, celebrated her 1,000th career point against St. John’s College on Sunday, eclipsing the milestone on a bucket she scored through contact late in a tight game. She didn’t stop there putting together a monster fourth quarter to try and will the Quakers back into the game, finishing with 23 total points in the contest. The 5-11 lefty wing can play both inside and outside, stepping out to hit a three and putting the ball on the ground to attack from the perimeter while also dominating inside during stretches of the game.

Louis Volker (2023 | St. Paul, Va.) 
The Missouri State commit put together a strong performance in St. Paul VI’s 36-22 win over Archbishop Carroll. Volker missed her first three field goals, but trusted herself and stayed confident with the ball and made her last five shot attempts. The 6-foot-2 forward finished with 11 points and did most of her damage on the interior while adding a three during the second quarter. Volker also got her teammates involved adding two assists to her stat sheet. She also stymied any hope Carroll had at extra possessions by adding three defensive rebounds. 

Kyndal Walker (2024 | St. John’s College, D.C.)
Walker took control of the game from the opening tipoff in the Cadets’ game against Penn Charter. The game was always at the pace she dictated - urgent, but not rushed. Walker combined her handle and pick-and-roll craft to generate instant offense. A pure point guard, she manipulated her primary and secondary defenders with her hesitations and crossovers, creating passing windows where she found her teammates rolling or cutting to the rim. The near double-digit assists was complimented by her 21 points. Walker’s scoring came as naturally as her playmaking, converting several layups and three clutch threes in the second half on her way to the win and the game MVP.

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Honorable Mentions

Anna Azzara (2024 | Spring-Ford), Shariah Barnes (2024 | Paul VI, N.J.), Carolae Barton (2024 | St. John’s College, D.C.), Gigi Battle (2026 | Rutgers Prep, N.J.), Yanniah Boyd (2023 | Riverdale Baptist, Md.), Nora Brady (2024 | Upper Dublin), Tyler Edwards (2024 | Sanford, Del.), Delaney Finnegan (2023 | Archbishop Wood), Allie Fleming (2023 | Archbishop Wood), Nila Giraud (2025 | Immaculate Conception, N.J.), Annie Greek (2023 | Notre Dame), Tatum Greene (2024 | St. John’s College, D.C.), Lizzie Halligan (2024 | Notre Dame), Jaidyn Harper (2024 | St. John’s College, D.C), Shya Hawkins (2024 | Long Island Lutheran, N.Y.), Aniyah Howard, (2024 | Audenried), Chloe Knox (2025 | Notre Dame), Hope Masonius (2024 | Manasquan, N.J.), Greta Miller (2024 | Cardinal O’Hara), Jordyn Palmer (2027 | Westtown), Mia Pauldo (2025 | Morris Catholic, N.J.), Dallas Pierce (2023 | Sanford, Del.), Amina Reid (2023 | West Catholic), Diora Ressaissi (2024 | Long Island Lutheran, N.Y.), Megan Rullo (2026 | Cardinal O’Hara), Qadance Samuels (2023 | Bishop McNamara), Jada Snow (2025 | Sanford, Del.), Isabella Toomey (2023 | Penn Charter), Kennedy Umeh (2024 | McDonogh School, Md.), Atlee Vanesko (2026 | Westtown), Brooke Wilson (2024 | Archbishop Carroll), Mikayla Young (2023 | Paul VI, N.J.)


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