Girls playoffs slam: Cardinal Newman’s Ashlyn Watkins dunks during semifinal game
Ashlyn Watkins has dunked in a game before but never in the postseason.
The Cardinal Newman sophomore threw down a dunk Friday in the Cardinals’ 60-36 in over Porter-Gaud in the SCISA 3A semifinals at Sumter Civic Center.
The Cards play Northwood in the state championship Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Cardinal Newman is going for its second straight title.
Watkins finished with 13 points. Audrey Myers led the team with 27.
Watkins’ dunk came in the first quarter of the semifinal game. She stole a pass and the ball squirted forward off her knee before she picked up and finished with the one-hand jam.
Watkins dunked in game earlier this season, and her dunking ability began in 2015 as a fifth-grader. In 2018, she dunked twice during the summer AAU season.
The 6-foot-3 Watkins is ranked by ESPN as the 12th-best prospect in the country for the Class of 2022. She has offers from several Division I schools, including No. 1 South Carolina, but hasn’t narrowed down her college choices.
Watkins is averaging 16.8 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4.1 blocks a game this year.
This story was originally published February 29, 2020 at 11:02 AM.
