City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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MANHEIM — The Select Events Prime East tournament’s high-level, two-day affair tipped off in style on Saturday, with teams from Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, Select Events and the Hoop Group Summer League all converged on Spooky Nook Sports’ sprawling 34-court facility for some pre-live period battles.

Here’s who stood out to the CoBL staff during Saturday’s action:

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Quinn Boettinger (2025 | Comets GUAA 16U)
Boettinger, a 6-3 forward from Perkiomen Valley who has offers from locals Drexel and St. Joe’s, was an impact player on both ends in a win over Team Northeast on Saturday morning. She erased shots on the defensive ends and reached double figures on the offensive endl. She works hard to position herself down low on the offensive end and has great feet to continue to seal off her defender. It might have been an even more dominant performance if she had her typical touch in the second half as well. One of the most fun parts of Boettinger’s game is watching her teammates play off her when she has the ball in the high or low post, whether that’s dishing/ handing off  to them cutting down the lane or kicking outside for an open look. 

Kiyanna Blacks-Stewart (2025 | Lady Runnin’ Rebels White 16U)
Buckets were mighty hard to come by in the Rebels’ victory over RBA, so Blacks-Stewarts’ team-high nine points were huge, particularly when they came. She had seven in the second half of a 33-31 win, including five in a row for her team that put them up for good late in the contest. The 6-1 Camden Catholic forward looked polished on her post moves, finishing with both hands after posting up and getting by her defender. She also has a projectible stroke. Blacks-Stewart showed off her strength, fighting for position and boards but she also has fluidity and lateral quickness as well that makes her versatile.

Mary Bolesky (2024 | Central PA Elite 17U)
Bolesky as usual was the engine for her team, something we’ve seen her be at the high school and grassroots levels; the strong 5-4 point guard finished with 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals and Central PA lost a close one to Philly Rise National, 58-54, in the second round of the 17U Gold bracket. The strong outside shooter knocked down three treys, but also showed off her ball-handling abilities as she attacked the rim, and her passing — something she says she needs to work on — was strong, making a number of great reads on the move to find open shooters.

Jaida Civil (2025 | East Coast United Family S40 17U)
Civil led the charge for the East Coast United Family S40 in their thrilling victory over the Germantown Lady Panthers 40-39. The 5-11 point guard put on a display of shooting, rebounding and passing that propelled her squad in the quarterfinals of the Prime East Event bracket — something the team has seen since her emergence to the 17U squad in eighth grade. Civil, now ranked No. 36 in ESPN’s 2025 rankings, scored 15-plus points and collected multiple crucial rebounds that helped seal the victory for the United Family.

Katie Collins (2024 | NJ Gemz EYBL 17U)
Playing in the state of Pennsylvania for the first time since her commitment to Penn at the end of last month, Collins showed why she’s headed to the Ivy League with a 17-point, 12-rebound assist in a first-round win over Elevate Elite’s 16s, playing up for the weekend. The mobile 6-2 forward showed her defensive instincts with three blocks in that game, and grabbed four offensive rebounds, with good effort on the glass and the ability to finish with either hand; she also showed off a smooth mid-range jumper, knocking down a few from 13-16 feet.

Caliyah DeVillasee (2025 | Elevate Elite 3SSB 16U)
A physical, athletic, 5-6 combo guard with a ton of pizzazz, DeVillasee has piled up Division I offers, and it’s easy to see why: she plays at almost a different speed from those around her, able to use her quick first step to get by defenders, where she’s got a nice mid-range pull-up, and also has good form from 3 on the catch with her feet set. A strong passer with good court vision, she made several on-point one-handed rifle passes to find shooters and cutters, part of a 13-point, five-assist outing in a loss to the NJ Gemz EYBL 17s.

Hope Drake (2024 | GTS Fusion GUAA 17U)
Drake and the GTS Fusion lost to Philly Rise EYBL in their second game of the day, but the 5-11 guard scored the majority of the team’s 22 points. Despite constant pressure from Rise, Drake’s mid-range jump shot continued to go down. She possesses a mix of scoring, athleticism and a natural feel for the game. Along with her smooth mid-range jumper, she showcased impressive court vision and heart on the defensive side of the ball. She also scrapped her way to eight points, eight rebounds and added three assists in a big win over New Heights NYC earlier in the day.

Rian Dotsey (2025 | Philly Belles EYBL 16U)
The Haverford forward will have a much bigger role awaiting her next season and she looks very much ready to take it on. While the Belles had a rough first half in their loss to NJ United - S40, Dotsey did her very best to keep her team in it and didn’t let up in the second half. The 6-foot-1 forward stepped out and hit a three while also scoring some tough hoops inside - a video clip of a behind-the-back dribble and finish through contact earning an emphatic retweet from older sister Caroline - blocked a few shots, hit the glass hard and had a nice find to get Kamora Berry a wide-open three.

Sydney Fenn (2024 | XGen Elite 17U)
A recent Indiana pledge, Fenn did her best to keep XGen Elite ahead in a game against the Fairfax Stars EYBL, which the Stars won on a 3-pointer in the game’s final 10 seconds. A offensively-minded 6-3 forward from New York by way of Compass Prep (Ariz.), Fenn scored 12 points —including a 3-pointer — and grabbed nine rebounds with a few other assorted stats, never shy offensively as she’s comfortable with the ball in her hands. Her defense on Stars standout wing forward Laura Williams was also notable; Williams was frustrated inside as Fenn more than held her ground.

Delaney Finn (2024 | Mid-Atlantic Magic 17U)
It took one shot to get Finn going. After struggling in the first half against LGB Select 17U, Finn took a bit of a hurried shovel pass from Reese Zemitis and put it up immediately, catching all net and igniting herself. The Archbishop Ryan sniper scored all 11 of her points in the second half, side-stepping and draining a three, cutting to the basket to score off a gorgeous pass from Katie Purpura, then combining on the very next possession for a three, adding in an assist and battling defensively in a three-point win.

Gracy Galbavy (2025 | Philly Rise EYBL 16U)
In a win over Team Melo, the 6-0 wing was the game’s best scorer with 12 points. While she can score off a jumper or by attacking the rim, in this game Galbavy showed that she is an elite back-door cutter as she always finds the right time to cut towards the rim and get an easy layup. Her wingspan helps her on both sides, especially in defense, where she gets a few steals. The wing, who led Perkiomen Valley to District 1 Championship, has offers from Princeton, Penn State, Temple, Towson, Harvard and Pittsburgh. 

Janeya Grant (2024 | Gauchos 3SSB 17U)
Grant is cocked and loaded before she even touches the ball, ready to fire from deep when the ball touches her hand if her defender sags off. She scored 14 points, including a trio of triples in a win over United NJ. At 6-foot she has the height/length to make you pay if you give her a slither of room. Grant’s shooting is certainly an elite trait but she also showcase her driving ability, making a tough and-one through contact and having another contested/contacted finish just rim out after a nifty move.

Jaidyn Harper (2024 | GTS Fusion GUAA 17U)
Harper put in 16 points to lead her squad to a victory over New Heights NYC on Saturday. A short jumper with a little under 30 seconds left was the game-winner in one of the game’s of the day. The 5-10 guard/wing handled and broke the New Heights press on a handful of occasions and returned the favor on the other end with disruptive defense to the tune of four steals. She can put the ball on the deck to get to the hoop, also pulling up and floating a shot off the glass during her outing. 

Olivia Jones (2025 | Philly Rise EYBL 16U)
19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. This was Jones’ stat line against GTS Fusion. The 5-10 wing plays each possession as if it was the last one as she crushes the glass to grab offensive boards and give the Rise many second chance opportunities. Jones is very strong and she can also effectively play in the post. The wing, who plays for Cedar Cliff, is always in control and her unselfishness is outstanding. She always looks for open teammates, but at the same time she is not afraid to get to the hoop with slick moves. Jones has offers from UPenn, Lafayette, Columbia, Harvard, Towson, Delaware, St.Joseph, Monmouth.  

Ava LaMonica (2026 | NJ Gemz EYBL 15U)
A 5-foot-9 point guard out of Rutgers Prep, LaMonica played like she was a high school upperclassman against the Comets Githens 15U squad. Strong, quick and showing really solid anticipation, LaMonica had 14 points, a few assists, three steals, a block and hit the offensive glass hard setting the pace for her team. She took one steal in for an and-one, turned another into an offensive rebound putback score and had two more offensive boards turn into key points against a Comets team that wouldn’t go away.

Christina Liggio (2025 | NJ Shoreshots HGSL 16U)
It was a well-rounded two-way effort for the Shoreshots in an afternoon romp over LGB Select on Saturday and Liggio’s fingerprints were all over it. The 5-9 wing racked up the steals for her team, which frustrated its opponent defensively both in the halfcourt and full court press. Liggio also reached double figures as a scorer, which included stepping outside to knock down a three, and showcased her vision with a handful of assists as well.

Stella Lockhart (2026 | NJ Gemz EYBL 15U)
The 6-foot forward opened her team’s game against Comets Githens 15U as expected, using her size and strength to power into the low post and draw a shooting foul. Her second make came from much further out, a corner three that hit all net and kicked off a really impressive outing. Lockhart, who plays at St. John Vianney, knocked down another three on a shot that was fluid and easy, then did a lot of work inside for her 18 points. She showed off good burst as well by sprinting out ahead of the pack off a turnover and laying in a hit-ahead pass from a teammate for a layup and attacked the glass hard.

Emily McDonald (2026 | XGEN Elite Premier 16U)
The keys of XGEN’s offense are in her hands and nobody is brave enough to take them. McDonald is a true point guard and she looks comfortable in controlling the ball even when the best defender from the other team is guarding her. Against New Heights, she contributed with 13 points and multiple finishing options. In the second half she was being more aggressive and showed how effective her crossover is. The 5-10 point guard is always able to find an open teammate with her notable passing abilities. Defensively, she got a block and a couple of steals. McDonald, who plays for St.Mary’s, holds offers from Buffalo, Cleveland State, St.Bonaventure, Dayton, Niagara and Canisius. 

Madisen McDaniel (2024 | Team Takeover EYBL)
The large crowd on court 3 was stunned when the 5-star guard confused the defender with a double behind the back dribble to score 2 of her final 11 points. There’s nothing much to do for the defense trying to stop her. Terrific ball handling, quick hesitations and nice touch around the rim are just some of the most important skills of her bag. The 5-9 guard is efficient in the pick-and-roll as she can find her way to the rim or find the screener with an assist. McDaniel, who plays for Bishop McNamara, initiates contact with the defender when jumping for the layup so that she can get fouled or even get an and-one.  

Yahmani McKayle (2024 | New Heights NYC 17U)
The 5-6 guard might quite a few high-degree of difficult shots in a tight loss to GTS Fusion to start the day. She finished with 17 points, showcasing a fearlessness that had her attacking the basket throughout the contest, that led to some acrobatic finishes — including a scoop shot and and-one with her off hand — and multiple trips to the charity stripe. That aggressiveness paired with her speed and quickness will keep a defense on edge in both the full court and half court.

Janaya Meyers (2025 | New Heights NYC 16U)
Arguably one of the best defenders in the 16U circuit today. Meyers, a 5-8 guard, gets stops after stops defensively. She can guard the point guard full court and it doesn’t seem that’s hard for her. In the 57-41 win against XGEN Elite, she even got back-to-back steals and made sure to contest every shot from the opponents. But the guard from Bayonne HS gets the job done offensively too by being strong and aggressive. In the game, she added 16 points and a few assists. Meyers looks comfortable in attacking the basket and making the right play in transition. 

Abigail McFillin (2027 | Comets 14U)
McFillin lived in the lane in her team’s game with NY Gemz EYBL 15U team, no small feat given the collective size of the Garden State squad, and was very effective doing so. The incoming Archbishop Carroll freshman started with a drive-and-kick for a three, then showed some good instincts in getting her own looks by slicing to the rim for a layup, hitting a high-floating runner and drawing a foul. She banked in a three as well, showing some range and competed hard on defense.

Precious Omoshola (2024 | Gauchos 3SSB)
Omoshola is a 6-2 forward, who recently added offers from Penn State and Canisius. She piled up 12 points and seven rebounds in a victory over United NJ, proving quite hard to stop in the paint. Omoshola consistently worked hard to carve out space for herself down low and made quick decisions with the ball in her hands. She wasn’t afraid to let the Gauchos talented backcourt go to work either. On the defensive, she swatted away at least three shots on the defensive end and impacted multiple others, showcasing a two-way impact that makes it easy to see why multiple D1 programs have targeted her.

Jordyn Palmer (2027 | Philly Rise EYBL 16U)
Some of the biggest crowds all day were for the games when the Rise 16s took the court, and it’s no doubt that’s in part of the draw of Palmer, one of the nation’s top rising freshmen and a recent finalist for the USA Basketball U16 squad, though she was two years younger than most of the girls who tried out. The 6-1 forward contributed nine points, seven steals, four rebounds and two blocks in a big win over the GTS Fusion GUAA 16s to advance into Sunday’s quarterfinals, but the numbers don’t show her throwing her body around the floor for those steals or making smart decision after decision running the break, or the ease with which she finishes around the bucket.

Reese Power (2025 | iamBASKETBALL G!RLS 16U)
Power’s first shot came from outside the arc and while she made it, she was not in a mood to settle. The Nazareth Academy point guard spent the rest of her team’s win over BBA’s GUAA 16U team playing with intent, taking the ball to the rim with purpose over and over, finding teammates when her drives got closed up and aggressively playing defense.

Francesca Schiro (2025 | United NJ S40 16U)
Schiro was as close to automatic as a player can get in her team’s win over the Philly Belles EYBL 16U side, draining shots inside and out on her way to 20 points. Her team’s ball-movement helped give her plenty of clean looks, but it might not have mattered if a defender was there with how efficiently she shot the ball. The 5-foot-7 guard has plenty of quickness too and she was able to dart into the lane and find plenty of looks beyond the trio of three-point shots she connected on.

Caleigh Sperling (2024 | Lady Runnin’ Rebels 17U)
The 5-10 guard is an efficient player at all 3 levels. She is able to make tough layups, contested mid-range jumpers and 3 pointers. In a 55-38 win over the HUrban Legends Sperling scored a game-high 15 points, mostly from the paint with cuts or by just being in the right position at the right time so that her teammates could find her. The guard, who averaged 17 points a game and 7 rebounds with North Penn, is effective on and off the ball and gets active defensively. 

Amaya Stewart (2025 | Philly Rise National 17U)
Stewart helped the Rise’s secondary squad to a key win over Central PA Elite in the second round of the Gold bracket on Saturday afternoon, the Wyomissing forward contributing a 14-point, nine-rebound, two-steal outing to stay in the winners’ bracket. A 6-1 forward playing up a year, Stewart knows how to use her body to create space around the bucket, and she’s nimble on her feet to get to the rim from the foul line extended; she also grabbed four offensive rebounds and had a few put-backs, and hit all five of her foul shots.

Kylie Torrence (2025 | Elevate Elite 3SSB 16U)
Torrence has been pulling in D-I offers by the boatload lately, up to 18 in total, and the 5-11 wing forward continued to stay productive during a loss on Saturday morning. Torrence is a smooth athlete with length, but she doesn’t play soft; she scrapped for 16 rebounds in addition to 15 points against a physical NJ Gemz 17U squad, getting seven offensive rebounds and converting quite a few of them back into points; she also had a few mid-range jumpers, but didn’t attempt a 3-pointer. Her athleticism, energy and ability to play physically will overcome that.

Atlee Vanesko (2026 | Philly Rise EYBL 16U)
Primarily an off-ball shooter with Westtown, Vanesko’s showing off what she can do with the ball in her hands with Rise’s 16U squad. The 5-11 guard from Ocean City (N.J.) stood out with her ball-playing and defensive abilities in a win over GTS Fusion, only needing to contribute four points but coming up with four steals, five assists and four rebounds as she was all over the court. Vanesko was excellent on the fast break, creating turnovers by jumping passing lanes and then finding open shooters — or a cutting Jordyn Palmer for an easy bucket.

Danielle Williamsen (2024 | New Heights NYC 17U)
The lefty exploded for 11 early points in a tight loss to GTS Fusion early Saturday. She’s lethal off the bounce, pulling up for three triples and catching and shooting for a long two. Her release is lightning quick and every ball that leaves her hand looks like it might not touch the rim. She didn’t have many other opportunities to shoot after the early outburst, but Williamsen added three assists, six rebounds and two steals at the guard spot. 

Reese Zemitis (2024 | Mid-Atlantic Magic 17U)
The future Bucknell Bison showed why she was such a highly pursued prospect by making play after play, capped by the game-winning and-one, in a tight game against LGB Select 17U. Zemitis did a bit of everything from scoring, shooting, rebounding, passing and protecting the rim and her late basket just barely edged the deep three she sank at the first half buzzer for her best play of the game. The Neshaminy forward kept playing even when her shot didn’t fall early and she did a nice job recognizing when Delaney Finn had hit going early in the second half and set the shooter up for a couple good looks. As if the 19 points and game-winner weren’t enough, sure enough it was Zemitis grabbing the final defensive rebound to close out the game.

Honorable Mention
Sabrina Anderson (2027 | Elevate Hoops 3SSB 16U), Brooke Baisely (2024 | United NJ S40 17U), Gigi Battle (2026 | Exodus EYBL 16U), Kyara Benjamin (2026 | BBA GUAA 16U), Kai Burnett (2025 | Philly Belles EYBL 16U), Ryan Carter (2027 | Exodus EYBL 16U), Darby Chhabria (2025 | Philly Belles EYBL 16U), Cayden Clark (2025 | NJ Shoreshots HGSL 16U), Carly Coleman (2024 | LGB Select 17U), Kailah Correa (2025 | Philly Rise EYBL 16U), Ella Corry (2024 | XGen Elite 17U), Gabby D’Agostino (2026 | United NJ S40 16U), Riley Davis (2027 | Comets Githens 15U), Reagan Doll (2025 | Central PA Elite 17U), Shea Donnelly (2025 | United NJ S40 16U), Reagan Edsell (2026 | GTS Fusion GUAA 16U), Iriona Gravley (2024 | NJ Gemz EYBL 17U), Angelina Hodgens (2025 | Exodus EYBL 16U), Analyse Intenzo (2026 | Rebels Basketball Academy), Amaia Jackson (2025 | Exodus EYBL 16U), Julia Karpell (2024 | NJ Gemz EYBL 17U), Zahra King (2024 | New Heights NYC), Jess Kolecki (2024 | Philly Rise National 17U), Mikel Lancit (2025 | iamBASKETBALL 16U), Carlie Lapinski (2024 | United NJ Select 40), Mya Latney (2025 | GTS Fusion GUAA 16U), Ashley MacCalla (2027 | Exodus EYBL 16U), Lizzy Mitchell (2025 | NJ Shoreshots HGSL 16U), Addison Morgan (2025 | Team Northeast 16U), Alicia Newell (2024 | Fairfax Stars EYBL 17U), Zoe Osby (2026 | Fairfax Stars EYBL 17U), Zeynep Ozel (2024 | NJ Gemz EYBL 17U), Alana Philpotts (2024 | Gauchos 3SSB), Katie Purprua (2024 | Mid-Atlantic Magic 17U), Erin Reid (2026 | NJ Gemz EYBL 15U) Aniya Rowe (2024 | XGen Elite 17U), Molly Rullo (2025 | Comets GUAA 16U), Christina Tiffin (2025 | LGB Select 16U), Katrina Valencia (2024 | LGB Select 17U), Zariyah Whigham (2024 | Philly Rise National 17U)