10 Best: Colfax-Mingo (29) at Grand View Christian (89)
Ankeny — We came into this one expecting to get a show out of the state’s highest scoring squad, Grand View Christian. And a show we got. DeMeulenaere Led by skilled junior guard Grant DeMeulenaere’s 10 first quarter points, the…
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Continue ReadingAnkeny — We came into this one expecting to get a show out of the state’s highest scoring squad, Grand View Christian. And a show we got.
DeMeulenaereLed by skilled junior guard Grant DeMeulenaere’s 10 first quarter points, the Thunder (13-1) raced out to a 28-6 lead. It was a devastating three-fourths court press that the Thunder imposed onto the Tigerhawks (6-7), and that led to steal after steal early in the contest.
Colfax-Mingo came into the game with a formidable 6-6 record, but was run out of the gym early. Its standout forward Jarod Nichols was held to a season-low six points.
Grand View Christian has several different scoring options, including DeMeulenaere, but also Stephen Glenn, Mach Nyaw, Nathan Long and the utterly impressive sophomore duo of Arturo Montes and Bryce Crabb. Expect to see the Thunder down at Wells Fargo Arena in March.
Team Scoring
Colfax-Mingo 6 11 6 4 — 29
GV Christian 28 25 16 20 — 89
Individual Scoring
Colfax-Mingo (29) — Brady Berkey 7, Jarod Nichols 6, Zarek Hill 5, Misha Seebeck 4, Alex Lewis 4, Reegan Van Dyke 2, Holister Koenig 2.
GV Christian (89) — Grant DeMeulenaere 16, Nathan Long 16, Bryce Crabb 13, Mach Nyaw 12, Stephen Glenn 12, Arturo Montes 8, Augie Saliu 4, Sam Wilson 4, Sam Glenn 3.
MVP: Nathan Long (Grand View Christian)
Well, this is a bit of a surprise, considering Long is the Thunders’ seventh-leading scorer. But tonight he sensational in every aspect of the game; not only was he the leading scorer (along with DeMeulenaere), but he came away with a handful of steals, blocks and rebounds. He’s a very bouncy post with an ability to hit a mid-range and a floater – scary to think this is the team’s seventh option.
Play of the Game: Stephen Glenn Dime (Grand View Christian)
The oldest of the Glenn brothers is a rangy and well-built senior leader of this team, and he dropped a dazzling pass on a fast-break to Arturo Montes. It was a well-calculated and precise bouncer through which he split a defender — a perfect cap to the fast-break. Unfortunately, Montes was not able to convert the lay up.
Best Offensive Performance: Grant DeMeulenaere (Grand View Christian)
He’s been absolutely dominant this season for the Thunder, and it was clear tonight why. A highly skilled offensive weapon, he may be small in stature, but his ability to get to the rim and hit an outside jumper were unmatched by anyone on the floor. He’s just a junior, and is in-line for a very big summer with Kingdom Hoops.
Best Defensive Performance: Bryce Crabb (Grand View Christian)
We came away from this one utterly impressed with this 6-foot-1 wing. He’s a great leaper with outstanding body control, who has a very bright future. His quickness and athleticism help on defense. And he made the defensive play of the game when within 10 seconds of tip, he cleanly sent back the Tigerhawks’ first shot attempt of the game.
Best Shooter: Grant DeMeulenaere
He made the first 3-pointer of the game and scored 10 first quarter points with an array of jump-shots. And though he can adeptly score by getting to the rim, it’s his prowess from deep that makes him most dangerous. He must be guarded on the perimeter at all times, and then, he’ll blow by you.
Best Intangibles: Stephen Glenn
On a team with few seniors, it’s important to have a guy like Glenn on the team. He brings senior leadership and we got the feeling tonight that even though the Thunder have been involved in plenty of blowouts this season, when they get into some closer games later this season , he’ll be a guy that they can rely on for big plays.
Best Underclassmen: Arturo Montes and Bryce Crabb
We had to give this award to both of these Grand View Christian sophomores, because they were both fantastic in the win. Montes is an athletic 6’5 forward with a diverse skill-set and a very strong build. Crabb is an athletic and skilled guard who moves very well and defends at a high level.
The Other Team’s Best Guy: Jarod Nichols (Colfax-Mingo)
This 6’5 post had a rough-go tonight, but it was evident why he came into the affair averaging 18.3 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. He’s got some nice size on him and he’s aggressive in the paint. He also showed an ability – albeit slight — to handle the ball. He also has a nice stoke from beyond the arc, and could become one of 1A’s best all-around players by next season.
Best Sidebar: Colfax-Mingo Coach Nick Noring
Noring was fun to watch coach. And though his team ran into a buzz-saw today, he continued to enthusiastically coach his guys with affirmative yet tough tactics. The Tigerhawks got a good young coach here, and it will be interesting to see where he leads this program.
Story to Watch: Grand View Christian at State
Last season the Thunder did what they were doing now in the regular season; they steamrolled teams en route to a 25-1 record before heading into the state tournament. When they got to Wells Fargo Arena though, they floundered, shooting just 11-38 from the floor, and losing by 14 to South O’Brien. We’d say it’s likely the Thunder end up back at the state tournament. The question is: how will they react to the pressure this time around?