10 Best: Mason City 69 at Urbandale 65
Urbandale — Mason City came into this game with a 6-3 record, and by most accounts, had been the surprise team in the CIML during the first half of the season. The J-Hawks (4-7) got off to a fast start…
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Continue ReadingUrbandale — Mason City came into this game with a 6-3 record, and by most accounts, had been the surprise team in the CIML during the first half of the season.
The J-Hawks (4-7) got off to a fast start this season, winning each of its first two games, but had since dropped six of eight coming into tonight’s contest.
It was a back-and-forth affair between the two, with Mason City (7-3) throwing the first punch, notching 27 first quarter points. Urbandale countered by outscoring the Mohawks by eight in the second quarter, and taking a three point led into the break.
The third quarter was a draw, with each team scoring 16, and in the fourth quarter it was Mason City which showed why it was winners of six of nine coming into the game. The Mohawks got timely buckets and played stout D — particularly on J-Hawk leading scorer Trevor Miller — en route to a 16-9 fourth quarter, and a hard-fought four point win.
Team Scoring
Mason City 27 10 16 16 — 69
Urbandale 22 18 16 9 — 65
Individual Scoring
Mason City (69) — Zach Hendrickson 26, Kyle Lang 21, Jake Rood 8, Dylan Miller 6, Ben Pappas 6, Hunter Dingman 3.
Urbandale (65) — Trevor Miller 21, Grant Garwood 16, Eric Milewsky 9, Ben Dekruyf 9, AJ Costello 6, Cade Friedrichsen 2, Will Pattison 2.
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MVP: Kyle Lang (Mason City)
He wasn’t the leading scorer, that honor belongs to Zach Hendrickson, but when Lang was on the floor, great things happened for the Mohawks. He scored 21 very important points, but it was his calm demeanor, solid ball-handling and leadership on the floor that propelled his team to the W.
Biggest Surprise: Zach Hendrickson (Mason City)
He was averaging 10.4 points coming into the game, so we knew he was at the very least a formidable player, but he erupted tonight. He was scoring from down low and outside (three 3s), and most importantly he secured the win by scoring 10 fourth quarter points, including four crucial late free-throws.
Best Offensive Performance: Zach Hendrickson
He scored more than anyone tonight, pouring in a season-high 26 points, and he was doing it from everywhere. He started the game with eight first quarter points, including two 3s. and He ended it even better, scoring 10 in the fourth quarter.
Best Shooter: Zach Hendrickson
The senior forward just keeps racking up the accolades, and when you score a season-high 26 points; why not? He connected on three 3s in this one, and hit all five of his free-throw attempts. He looked much better than his 34 percent 3FG% and 74 FT% would have indicated.
Best Motor: Eric Milewsky (Urbandale)
I sent out a tweet that said Milewsky reminded me of the Tasmanian Devil because of his tireless nature and high energy. He’s the catalyst for this J-Hawk squad, and when he’s on the floor, good things tend to occur.
Eric Milewsky reminds me of the Tasmanian Devil – kid is fearless, tireless #iahsbkb
— TJ Rushing (@TjRushing) January 14, 2017
Best Underclassmen: Grant Garwood (Urbandale)
Maso City has a nice sophomore with 6’1 guard Dylan Miller, but it was clear tonight that J-Hawk 2019 Grant Garwood was the best youngster on the floor. We have him ranked 30th in 2019, so the 16 points were no surprise. He’s in-line for a big 16U summer.
Best Player off the Bench: Henry Drake (Urbandale)
This supremely quick 5’7 guard might not provide a ton of scoring for the J-Hawks this season, but he will provide a nice spark and plenty of razzle-dazzle. He was placing several nice passes when he was on the floor, and is as fast of a player as I’ve seen yet this season. If he develops a jumper this summer, he will be very dangerous next season.
Most Efficient: Trevor Miller (Urbandale)
This 6’5 J-Hawk standout scored a team-high 21 points, but did it on a relatively low number of shots. He’s tall and long enough to get of clean looks seemingly at will, but never forces, and all of the shots he took were good ones. He was red-hot early before tapering a bit late. Tonight Miller showed why he’s a 50 percent shooter this season.
Best Intangibles: Kyle Lang (Mason City)
He was the best player on the floor tonight, and regardless of how a player performs, this honor is usually given the to guy with the most skill. Lang is one of those guys that has “it” — meaning he makes things that would be difficult for most, seem easy. He’s a smooth operator with the ball in his hands, and will likely rise from his current No. 51 ranking in 2o17.
Story top Watch: Can Mason City Sustain?
It’s been mostly sunshine and lollipops for the Mohawks so far this season. Coming in with little expectations from a media standpoint, they’ve been the early-season darlings, starting 7-3 and beating the likes of Waukee and Dowling in the process. After tonight things get more treacherous, with another game against Dowling that’s followed by Ames, and then Ankeny Centennial. Even if they win two out of those three, we’ll know for sure that this team is for real.