'Dynamic Duo' are together for All-Star experience

GREENSBORO — At the very start of the second half of the girls East-West All-Star Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum last week, Eastern Randolph High School graduate Brecken Snotherly looped a high-arching pass inside the paint to Randleman High School graduate Gracyn Hall. Hall grabbed the ball and strongly went up, laying the ball off the glass for an easy two points.

Both players ran down the court smiling, remembering the same scenario that had occurred many, many times before.

Although they went to different high schools, the two Randolph County players had often played on the same team while growing up and not many people could stop them then, either.

“Just like when we were younger, we’ve been doing that since we were in the third grade, so it was natural,” Hall said. 

Snotherly has fond memories as well.

“It was fun, we used to call ourselves the dynamic duo,” Snotherly said. “I would come down and pass it over and we had a little flashback, so that was fun. We’ve always done really well with that, we have good chemistry getting it inside to her and she always finishes.”

Although the West All-Stars team, of which both Snotherly and Hall were members, dropped a hard-fought 74-68 setback to the East that night, the entire experience of getting to know and then play with and against some of the top players in the state is something that should drive the pair as they embark on their collegiate careers, Snotherly at East Tennessee State and Hall at Emory & Henry.

“It was an honor just to be here, let alone play in the actual game,” Hall said. “I am thankful for the opportunity because it showcased all the work I put into it and all the time and effort to get to this point.”

Like each of the 19 girls on the floor, Hall had an incredible high school career at RHS. The 5-foot-11 forward-center scored 1,692 points and grabbed 1,011 rebounds. As a senior, she was named all-state, all-district and all-conference after averaging 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.

While earning an invitation to the East-West Game, she joins her father, Tyler Hall, who played in the East-West football game in 1984, as all-star game participants. 

“It’s a cool deal,” Hall said. “For my dad to be a part of it and for me to be a part of it, it’s like a cool tradition that we kept going.”

Gracyn is the first athlete from RHS to make an East-West team since Kyle Farlow and Chase Causey made the football team in 2012. She is the first basketball player since Brandi Cook represented RHS in 1996.

“The most difficult thing was playing with new girls, cause outside Brecken, she is the only one I had played with,” Hall said. “It was an adjustment getting used to their styles of play and how they work with me.”

Challenging, but rewarding.

“It was really fun, we were all trying to put each other together,” Hall said. “You played here so I played against you. You played here so I know you.That was fun.”

Hall finished with four points and six rebounds in 18 minutes of action.

Snotherly had two points, five rebounds, three assists, one block and two steals in 25 minutes.

“It was a good experience, being surrounded by the same kind of people and talk about some of the things we experienced as ball players going into college,” Snotherly said. “For as little time as we spent together, we got probably as close as we could get and that was fun.”

Snotherly had already reported to East Tennessee State and traveled back to Greensboro for the East-West Game. 

“My body was already kind of tired because of that,” Snotherly said. My thought was to stay focused and not get hurt.”

Snotherly said she’s already noticed a big difference in college basketball compared to even the talent level she faced last week at the East-West Game.

“In college, that first step is quicker, getting to the basket is a lot quicker,” she said. “Knowing how to play defense with that takes time. The 3-point line is about two feet past high school, so you have to adjust to that.

“It’s been fun and challenging. The players have been really encouraging. Coming in as a freshman, you think you’re in shape, but you’re not. I am just trying to be a sponge and soak everything up and stay focused and work hard.”

Snotherly entered the East-West Game after leading the entire state in scoring her senior year, averaging 30.7 points per game, totaling 2,253 points in her prep career. After setting a school record with 830 points her final year at ER, she was named all-state, all-conference and was the district player of the year. She also averaged 9.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.6 steals per contest.

She is the first ER athlete to make the East-West Game since Casey Moore in 2007.

“I think I am going to take back (to college) the communication part,” Snotherly said of her all-star experience. “In the little time we were here, we were able to grow and build a relationship and I want to take that back to college and build relationships.”