Area players named all-state

Published 8:07 am Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Brandywine freshman Zakiyyah Abdullah and Cassopolis junior Santaja Gibson have both been named to the Associate Press Class C All-State Girls Basketball Team.

The pair of BCS Conference players were both honorable mention selections.

Abdullah averaged 17.3 points per game, 3.1 rebounds. 4.6 assists and 3.4 steals for Brandywine, which has now had at least one player named all-state for the eighth consecutive year.

She helped the Bobcats win the Class C district championship.

Gibson helped the Rangers post an 11-11 overall record.

Cassopolis fell to Brandywine in the district championship game at Watervliet.

Gibson averaged 18.3 points per game, 10.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals.

No other area players were named first- or second-team all-state in Class C.

The Associated Press named Deajah Cofield of Flint Hamady and Kelsey Wyman of Blissfied as its co-players of the year.

In Class B, Edwardsburg sophomore Kaitlyn Zarycki and Buchanan seniors Brooke Wesner and Jayla Bibbs were honorable mention selections.

Zarycki averaged 15.3 points per game, 5.9 rebounds, 2.5 assist and 3.4 steals in helping lead Edwardsburg to a 19-3 record.

Bibbs averaged 12.9 points per game, 11.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.8 steals, while Wesner averaged 14 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.2 steals for the Bucks, who finished the year 16-4.