Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Olive Branch star, Myah Taylor, honored

image and article from Commercial Appeal



If there was any lingering doubt — and really at this point there shouldn't have been, but if there was — Myah Taylor has put it all to rest. The Olive Branch senior will go down as one of the best and most-honored girls basketball players in the history of the area.

Taylor cemented her legacy on Monday when she was named Gatorade's state player of the year for a record third straight time. The honor comes after the Mississippi State signee led the Quistors to the MHSAA 6A state championship with a 57-54 victory over Starkville at Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on Saturday.

Olive Branch ends the season 33-1 and is ranked 19th in the latest USA Today national poll.

"I had to sacrifice a lot but like my dad told me, now I can see the hard work has paid off," said Taylor. "Things like not going out with my friends ... I'll either be at home studying or in the gym.

"Don't get me wrong, winning the Gatorade award is great. But our number one goal all season was to win state as a team. That's what we worked toward all year; our motto was 'all in.' I couldn't have done any of this without my teammates."

The 5-6 Taylor — who is ranked 49th nationally in the class of 2016 according to ESPN HoopGurlz — averaged 21.6 points, 7.5 assists and 7 steals for Olive Branch this season while shooting 49 percent from the floor. Off the court she's just as impressive, maintaining a 4.10 grade-point average.

She capped her career with a 16-point, 9-steal, 6-assist effort in the victory over Starkville.

Anastasia Hayes, the Miss Basketball winner from undefeated state champ Murfreesboro Riverdale, was the Gatorade winner for Tennessee.

DIXON TO GEORGIA TECH

Georgia Tech has picked up another verbal commitment from a Shelby County girls basketball standout as Ridgeway's Elizabeth Dixon announced via Twitter on Sunday that she was headed to Atlanta.

"After heavy consideration and talking with family, I'm excited to further my education at Georgia Tech," she Tweeted. "I'm so excited and can't wait."

Dixon will be joined by another talented class of 2018 standout, Whitehaven sharp-shooter Jasmine Carson, who committed to the Yellow Jackets last month.

The 6-3 Dixon is currently the 20th-ranked junior in the nation according to ESPN HoopGurlz. She attracted serious recruiting interest from a host of strong programs, including Baylor, Tennessee, Ohio State, Florida State, Louisville, Kentucky and Maryland.

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