From the opening tip, Leomary Diaz was a force to be reckoned with, making play after play. She led all scorers with 34 points, but Donovan H.S. didn’t go down without a fight. Let’s get into the details.

In the first quarter, Diaz made a beautiful play, rejecting the screen and setting herself up for a smooth jump shot. A common trend you’ll hear me mention is her ability to draw fouls—Diaz practically lived at the free-throw line throughout the game.

In the second quarter, she continued to lead the way for her team. Despite being face-guarded and pressured full court, Diaz went behind the back, putting her defender on skates before getting into the lane for a beautiful dish. Unfortunately, it didn’t result in a basket, but it was still an impressive play. Time and time again, she found her teammates for open looks. Just before the halftime buzzer, Diaz drew another foul and knocked down all three free throws, sending Long Branch into the break with the lead.

To start the second half, Donovan came out swinging, taking a one-point lead. They caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down threes and shifting the momentum. Long Branch needed an answer, and Diaz delivered—hitting two huge threes of her own and reclaiming the lead. Heading into the fourth quarter, Long Branch remained in control, and Diaz sealed the win delivering at the free-throw line.

Overall, Leomary Diaz is a talented player with a high basketball IQ. She excels at setting up teammates and using her body to get to the free-throw line, and she can knock down shots from all over the court. But like all players, she has areas to improve. She could benefit from tightening up her ball-handling and has a tendency to rely on her hands rather than her feet on defense. That being said, it’s important to remember that Diaz carries a heavy offensive workload, which could explain the occasional lack of defensive intensity—though she still comes away with steals and deflections.