Press Release - Floridaprospects.com Invitational (Dec. 27-30)

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: December 22, 2006 : GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - The 2006 Floridaprospects.com Invitational (Deccember 27-30 @ Gainesville High School) is gearing up for what may be arguably the best girl's basketball tournament field in Florida this holiday season. Tournament Director, Rob Moramarco, has put together a 16-team field that is : expecting to attract over 70 college coaches during the four-day event. : "We are pleased to have our four local schools, Gainesville High, P.K. Yonge, Eastside, and Buchholz, participate in a tournament with many of the state's top teams and one nationally ranked program," : states Moramarco. : Orlando's The First Academy (11-2), ranked #5 by Sports Illustrated and #24 by USA Today, just finished up participating in the nation's top tournament, the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona. TFA lost to New York's Christ the King in the quarterfinals of the tournament 58-55 in double overtime after leading by seven points late in the first overtime. Christ the King is a top 10 national powerhouse program annually and is led by UConn signee Lorin Dixon and St. John signee Sky Lindsay. In the 5th place game, they lost to #3 Notre Dame Academy 49-40. The Lady Royals did defeat Towson Catholic with a University of Maryland signee and defeated USA TODAY Top 15 Ursiline Academy out of Deleware with the nation's top junior prospect, Elena Delledonne. : The Lady Royals have won many of their games by more than 25 points, including a 100-2 victory over Edgewood High School. In that game, the defending : Class 2A State Champion's top player, Krystal Thomas, did not participate. In addition to Thomas, the Lady Royals are led by Alexa Deluzio, Jamie Givins (Florida Atlantic), and Tierra Brown (Stetson). Deluzio is on the recruiting radar of many of the nations top division one colleges and universities, including the University of Florida. : Also participating from outside the Gainesville area are Florida High's Lady Seminoles from Tallahassee. They are the defending Class 3A State Champions. They are led by Varisia Raffington (University of Alabama) and Jayme Warner (College of Charleston). Florida High's (8-2) two lone losses this season have been to North Florida Christian in overtime and to The First Academy in which Raffington sat for a quarter and a half. Florida High actually won the remaining 2 and a half quarters, but fell to TFA. Florida High : avenged it's other loss with a win over the Lady Eagles of N.F.C. last week. : Locally, P.K Yonge is 11-1 and ranked #1 in the current F.S.W.A. Class 3A poll. The Lady Blue Wave's only defeat was to Lafayette in the Buchholz Lady Bobcat Shootout a few weeks ago. P.K. Yonge is led by potential Division One recruit, junior guard Crystal Johnson and senior guard Kristen Dixon. : Buchholz is off to a great start at 9-1, with its lone loss coming to state-ranked, Miami Monsignor Pace. The Lady Cats are led by Dierdra and DA Hillard and Wilemina Hopkins. : Eastside is rebuilding after losing Latoya Williams and Katrice Mulberry to graduation along with four other seniors from last year's Class 5A Region Finalist. The Lady Rams (5-7) are led by senior guard, Sharnae Ivery and senior Whitley Washington. : Finally, the host Gainesville High (4-7) are still trying to find an identity for this season. The Lady Hurricanes have done well in almost every game this year losing to state ranked teams Lafayette, Westport, Buchholz, and Leesburg. Led by seniors Marshae Greenlee and Katisha Gordon and junior Janae Todd, the Lady Hurricanes will try to defeat state-ranked Nature Coast Tech (10-1) in the first round. : First Round with Records: : Cypress Lake (10-3) vs. Jackson (9-2) @ 9:00AM : Cocoa (8-3) vs. Haines City (8-5) @ 10:30AM : Florida High (9-2) vs. Wolfson (10-2) @ 12:00 NOON : Lee (8-3) vs. The First Academy (11-2) @ 1:30pm : Lemon Bay (9-2) vs. P.K. Yonge (11-1) @ 3:30pm : Fleming Island (7-2) vs. Buchholz (9-1) @ 5:00pm : Nature Coast Technical (10-1) vs. Gainesville (4-7) @ 7:00pm : Frostproof (10-2) vs. Eastside (5-7) @ 8:30pm : All eight (8) opening round games will be broadcast 'live' at www.floridacast.com : Top Players: : Cypress Lake: Charneisha Smith (5'7" Guard - Junior) , Brittany Brown (5'7" Guard - Senior), Anna Helenbrook (5'7" Forward - Sophomore), Jennifer Mitchell (5'7" Guard - Junior) : Jackson: Desiree O'neal (6'0" Forward - Senior), Tracie Sneed (6'0" Guard - Junior), Nadia Givins (5'3" Point Guard - Sophomore), Kristiana Goshay (5'7" Guard - Junior) : Cocoa: Tyesha Robinson (5'7" Guard - Sophomore), Quanisha Dixon (Guard, 5'7" - Senior) : Haines City: Marquise Lee (5'9" Guard - Junior) , Erica Davis (5'6" Guard - Senior) : Florida High: Varisia Raffington (5'10" Guard/Forward - Senior), Jayme Warner (6'1" Center - Senior) : Wolfson: Nichelle Glover (6'0" Post - Senior), Julie Syquio (5'7" Guard - Senior) : Lee: Brandice Howard (5'10" Guard - Sophomore), Daphne Walker (6'0" Forward - Sophomore) : The First Academy: Krystal Thomas (6'5" Center/Forward - Senior) , Alexa Deluzio (5'10" Guard - Junior), Jamie Givins (6'1" Forward - Senior) , Tierra Brown (5'6" Guard - Senior), Erin Knight (5'8" Guard - Sophomore) : Lemon Bay: Kelly Strammer (5'6" Guard - Senior), Kylie Kasten (6'0" Forwad - Junior), Chelsea Lauer (5'6" Guard - Senior) : P.K. Yonge: Crystal Johnson (5'6" Point Guard - Junior) , Kristen Dixon (5'9" Guard/Forward- Senior), Andrea Potter (5'10" Forward-Junior) : Buchholz: Deirdre Hilliard (5'8" Forward - Senior), DA Hilliard (5'8" Guard - Senior), Wilimina Hopkins (5'8" Post - Sophomore), Tabitha Mokpondu (6'2" Post - Senior) : Fleming Island: Brittany Lewis (6'0" Forward - Junior), Emily Walton (5'5" Guard - Senior) : Eastside: Sharnae Ivery (5'8" Wing - Senior), Whitley Washington (5'5" Wing - Senior) : Frostproof: Lucky Tensley (Point Guard - 5'8" Freshman), Whitney DeLoach (Post - 5'10" - Sophomore), Katri Narki (Forward, 5'7" - Senior) : Nature Coast Technical: Jessica Eberts (5'7" Guard - Senior), Shareka Maner (6'0" Forward - Sophomore) : Gainesville: Katisha Gordon (5'5" Guard - Senior), Janae Todd (5'6" Guard - Junior), Marshay Greenlee (5'11" Forward - Senior) : COLLEGE SIGNEES: : Krystal Thomas - Duke University : Varisia Raffington - University of Alabama : Jayme Warner - College of Charleston : Tierra Brown - Stetson University : Jaimie Givens - Florida Atlantic University : Marshay Greenlee - University of North Florida (volleyball) : Julie Syquio - University of North Florida : Nichelle Glover - Bethune Cookman College : For more information or to get an interview, please contact Robert Moramarco at 352-215-2249. : ### : END

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