Girls Hoops - 2006
Stephenson vs. Redan
By Larry Williams
Dec 2, 2005, 05:30 EST

Redan takes Round 1

Murray scores 18 to lead the way
Redan High School - Stone Mountain, GA

Redan's Anelia Murray scored a game high 18 points to lead all scorers.

The biggest thing happening on the high school sports scene on Friday night was suppose to be the Georgia High School Football Championships but at the packed Redan High School gymnasium there was another bigtime event going on; the girls rival basketball game between 2 of 4SHOT Hoops top three ranked teams, No. 2 ranked Redan and No. 3 ranked Stephenson. With the likes of LSU Head Coach Pokey Chatman, UGA’s Andy Landers and Georgia Tech’s MaChelle Joseph on hand you knew this was big and so did the players.

While those coaches were probable there to show Redan’s highly touted unsigned 6-1 senior Porsha Phillips that they really want her to sign-up with their programs, they also got to see some senior talent that got away like, Stephenson’s Jasmine Smith - Louisville and Robin Murphy - Georgia Washington University and Redan’s Amani Franklin - Univ. of Kentucky.

In the 1^st quarter there were a lot of turnovers and missed shots early on because the players were so jacked but when they settled down the real “Ballers” showed up and started balling, you feel me. Every player that stepped on the court did their thing.

Phillips got Redan started hitting a turn-around jumper, Stephenson counter when their talented junior PG-Ashlie Billingslea scored back-to-back hoops to put the “Lady Jaguars” on top 4-2. Stephenson Head Coach Dennis Watkin’s didn’t waste any time putting his team in a full court press, which forced Redan into some early turnovers. A nice assist from Jasmine Smith to 6-2 senior Assunta Fulgham (college coaches if you snooze you loose, Fulgham is a real steal) opened up a 7-2 lead with 4:58 on the clock.

Stephenson's Robin Murphy and Jylisa Williams fight for position against Redan's Porsha Phillips.

Speaking of steals Kentucky Head Coach Mickie DeMoss stole one away from everybody when she signed Redan’s 6-0 senior PG-Amani Franklin. Franklin made a nice assist to Anelia Murray (who’s stock is quickly rising) and then she drilled a jumper to cut the lead 7-6 as the teams continued to race up and down the floor. Early this summer I had a chance to sit down with Jasmine Smith and the one thing she told me was that her jumper was sweet, well I guess she knew what she was talking about as she drained a long three-pointer to make the score 10-6.

Coach Watkins has a deep bench but with his team in a nice rhythm he started substituting and it took his team out of their flow. Redan’s Head Coach Rhonda Malone stayed pat with her starters and it paid off as Franklin busted a three and Phillips knocked home her 3^rd jumper as the “Lady Raiders” regained the lead 11-10. By the end of the 1^st quarter the “Lady Raiders” had opened up a 20-11 lead.

In the 2^nd quarter with Phillips resting on the bench Stephenson made their move behind the board play of 6-1 senior Robin Murphy (an Oak Hill transfer via Rockdale H.S). Murphy scored 6 points in the 2^nd quarter and got help from 6-0, Jr.-Shunice Hardy and 5-11, Sr.-Danielle Gray to cut the halftime lead to 27-25.

Stephenson's Kirstyn Wright added 9 points on 3 three-pointers.

The action really picked up in the 3^rd quarter as both teams got after it. Murphy’s who just became eligible to play started the 3^rd quarter and continued to put in the work on the boards. Another one of Stephenson’s fast rising juniors 5-11 G-Kirstyn Wright came off of the bench and played big draining 2 long three-pointers to kept the “Lady Jaguars” close.

Phillips returned to the floor in the 3^rd quarter and picked up where see left off in the 1^st quarter scoring 4 points, but it was the play of Murray and unheralded Natalie Holder that helped the “Lady Raiders” hold off Stephenson. Holder hit 2 big shots and Murray did a nice job of driving to the hole, scoring 6 points to give Redan a 43-37 lead at the end of the quarter.

At the start of the 4^th quarter the “Lady Jaguars” highly touted sophomore, 5-8 G-Jylisa Williams finally made her presence felt scoring two quick hoops; Hardy then knocked down a jumper to cut the lead to 43-41. Stephenson had a chance to tie the game but they missed a lay-up. Redan senior Quaticqua Johnson who often plays in the shadow of Phillips, Franklin and Murray scored a big basket to put the “Lady Raiders” up by four 45-41 after Stephenson failed to tie the score.

With 5:04 left to play Wright knocked down her 3^rd three-pointer of the game to cut the lead to 45-44. Like a heavyweight fight the teams continued to trade big jabs but nobody got knocked out. With 2:44 on the clock Phillips banked in a shot to give Redan some breathing room making it 53-46.

Down the stretch Stephenson was forced to start fouling; Redan responded hitting 10 of 14 free throws, 5 by Franklin and 4 by Phillips as they went on to win Round 1 by a score of 59 to 48.

Scoring Recap

Redan:

Anelia Murray scored a game high 18 points to lead all scorers. Porsha Phillips finished with 16 points,

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