6th Annual NCCC Shootout Varsity Division Standouts

On a warm mid-July Saturday in the Buffalo area, many high schoolers from throughout WNY made the air conditioned gym at Niagara County Community College their home for the 6th Annual NCCC Shootout. This is one of the three team camps NCCC head coach Nate Beutel puts on during the summer for area athletes.

12 teams from the region, including both high school and AAU programs, took part in Saturday's event. All teams played three guaranteed games, and pool winners (along with the top-ranked 2nd place team) advanced to playoffs. A good day of basketball had a bit of an anticlimactic ending, as Full Court Hoops (White) earned the varsity division crown by way of forfeit. On a day that several teams took the court with lower numbers, their WNY Lakers Delvalle finals opponent - going into their 5th game of the day and fielding just 5 players at that point - opted out of playing the championship after defeating Full Court Hoops 2021s in the semifinals.

FCH White made it to that point in an unconventional way, having to play/beat the same team twice in a row beforehand. In their last game of pool play, they took on the Buffalo Titans. It was a tight game throughout, with the Titans holding a 5 point halftime lead, but FCH was able to battle back and take the lead. After the Titans turned it over in a tie game with under 30 seconds left, FCH got a jumper from Lauren Nawojski to fall with 5 seconds left to complete the comeback and win 40-38. They were matched up with each other directly after for the semifinals, as the Titans were the top-ranked 2nd seed, but their second game lacked the drama of the first. FCH rode the momentum to a 27-10 halftime lead, and after a timeout following a quick Titans run to cut the margin to single digits early in the 2nd half, FCH went on a 13-2 run to extend to their lead to 20 as they coasted to a 44-27 victory.

WNY Lakers blew their way through the competition before bowing out prior to the shootout finals. A team comprised mainly of Amherst & Williamsville South players, they handled business through pool play, going 3-0. In playoff semifinals, they jumped out to a big early lead over the FCH 9th grade team. They maintained a lead of around 20 points throughout the 2nd half - a spot they consistently found themselves in over the course of the day - eventually winning 47-26.

Several players stood out over the course of the latter half of the day, which is the segment in which I was in attendance. Some of them were familiar faces by now; for others, it was my first time seeing them. Some that caught my eye, in alphabetical order:


Amari DeBerry (Williamsville South 2021) - After multiple games per day over a week-long stretch in Indianapolis & Chicago, fatigue was certainly a factor, but it didn't take a guru to understand why Amari is highly regarded as one of the country's best in her class. With her high school team playing with six on the day and starting point guard Hannah Dolan injured and unable to participate, the 6'5" DeBerry even slid over to handle those duties at times. As soon as that transition happened, she zipped a left-handed pass with some gusto through traffic on the money to a cutting teammate - just another example of her being a special talent. Now after the week-long venture in the Midwest and a few days in Las Vegas for the Bluestar E30 event in late June, she may get a few days to take it easy before USJN in the nation's capital to end July.

Gina Fumerelle (Sweet Home 2019; Full Court Hoops White) - This was my first time getting a concentrated look at Gina. She has good size for a wing, looking to be around 5'10". Over the course of the day, she showed her ability as a knockdown shooter, particularly playing off the ball and spotting up. Her scoring punch proved particularly important as the day wore on, and it was a major piece of their close pool play W over Buffalo Titans to secure the top seed in their pool. Heard at the event that there has been recent inquiries about Fumerelle from Division 2 schools.

Erin Hardick

Erin Hardick (Sacred Heart 2019; Full Court Hoops White) - What she doesn't have in size (5'4"-5'5" range), Hardick brings in many other aspects. She had a good day overall running the show for her team in an undefeated day. She played hard at both ends throughout, and showed her competitive edge with a tough & scrappy side. On top of running the show, she was often given the assignment of defending the opposition's best player. She showed ability to get into the lane either to score or create for others, along with solid basketball IQ as the PG in knowing when to do each. A good showing for a player that should be a target for D3s looking for a PG in the 2019 class.

Mariah Huss (Kenmore West 2023) - Mariah was the youngest standout of the day, but that's seemingly nothing new to her. I first saw her just two weeks prior in the same gym, as she dominated the modified/JV division of this team camp for her Full Court Hoops AAU squad. She split time with high school & AAU in this one, getting a lot of run in with her Kenmore West girls - a place that she was the starting point guard on the varsity team as a 7th grader. Height is something that she currently lacks, but she's strong for her age and has a very refined skill set as a rising 8th grader. She can break defenders down off the dribble and finish various ways around the rim, and her court vision allows her to create in ways that the vast majority of PGs her age can't do. If the defense gives her a couple steps, she can knock down the jumper with deep range. Perhaps the most impressive piece of her game now is her IQ - it wasn't uncommon to see/hear her direct traffic in a game where she was often the youngest on the court by a matter of years. Huss is one of the better 2023s that I've seen in upstate NY so far.

Mariah Huss

Emma Klein (Amherst 2021; WNY Lakers Delvalle) - Emma has grown from a promising youngster to a player with one of the stronger reputations in Section 6, and she showed why throughout the day. She's known as a long, very athletic combo guard that makes a two-way impact, and that was all on display. She did a good job turning defense into offense, jumping passing lanes or picking ballhandlers' pockets and getting out in transition several times each game. When the game slowed up, she showed development in her offensive skill set, attacking the basket going to her left a few times and also pulling up & taking the midrange J a few times. Bright future for Klein, who is developing into a quality all-around basketball player.

Emma Klein

Emma Stelley (Amherst 2019; WNY Lakers Delvalle) - I've seen Emma play numerous times over the years with her high school & AAU teams, but this day may have been the most complete I've seen from her. They needed increased production from her, as the Lakers eventually dropped to having just 5 available players, and she answered the call. Stelley is strong and can finish through contact, but also has a pure, consistent jumper in the 15'-18' range. She made that evident as the day went on, being able to get to her spots and shooting a high percentage on 1-2 dribble midrange pull-ups.

Lydia Sweeney (Grand Island 2020; Buffalo Titans) - Sweeney was probably the most offensively polished guard in the building on Saturday, and she had a strong showing for a team that progressively needed it more & more from her. She's a knockdown midrange shooter that can also hit consistently from behind the arc, and she was the best in the gym at being able to create for herself off the dribble. She's also a good ballhandler against pressure, so although her skill set may make her a more natural 2, she's a player that can be slid over to the PG spot as well. At one point in their last pool game, she took over the scoring load for her team, keeping them in it as the offense went stagnant at times with low numbers & tired legs. Look for her to be a star in the area the next two years, and going forward, she will certainly be a priority target that many WNY colleges will be working hard for to try & keep her close to home.

Lydia Sweeney

Brooke Woodard (Eden 2021; Full Court Hoops White) - This was my first time viewing Woodard, a player who emerged last winter as a primary option for her high school team. She showed capability of being a dynamic scorer at this event, being a main scoring option on a team that featured players from the 2019-2021 graduating classes. She can put it on the floor and create, but she most consistently made defenders pay for giving her any look from the perimeter. Her perimeter touch was a major part of her squad jumping out to a 27-10 halftime lead in the semifinals. Brooke is a player I'll be keeping track of going forward.

Jessica Zittel (Eden 2022; Buffalo Titans) - Woodard's high school teammate made herself known in her own right. As some of the others above, what really stuck out for Zittel was her ability to shoot from the perimeter. She was a threat for her Titans squad, as a quicker release allowed her to get shots off unbothered despite her smaller stature, and she shot it at a high percentage during the games I watched of hers. More of a combo guard now and wasn't asked to handle PG duties for her Titans team, so I didn't get to see as much of her on the ball, but she certainly shows promise as a young 2022 player. I would anticipate between her and Woodard, Eden will be a contender at the small school ranks for years to come.