Ten Best: Logansport at McCutcheon
Game Recap: Logansport at McCutcheon Final Score: Logansport 54 – McCutcheon 49 McCutcheon came out of the gate and completely dominated the first two quarters of this matchup. This contest showcased Class 4A No. 6 McCutcheon and No. 5 Logansport.…
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Continue ReadingGame Recap: Logansport at McCutcheon
Final Score: Logansport 54 – McCutcheon 49
McCutcheon came out of the gate and completely dominated the first two quarters of this matchup. This contest showcased Class 4A No. 6 McCutcheon and No. 5 Logansport. In a packed house, Haden Deaton was honored pre-game for eclipsing the 1,000-point mark in his career at McCutcheon.
At the end of the first quarter, McCutcheon was up 16-9 behind 10 points from their start point guard Robert Phinisee. Phinisee was scoring at a high rate early on. The second quarter was much of the same. Phinisee creating offense for himself and others. Gavin Dunbar hit a pair of back-to-back threes to help extend their lead. Haden Deaton got himself a one-handed throw down on the break over Jalen Adaway of Logansport to bring the crowd to life. The Mavericks won the second quarter 17-13 to stretch the lead to 33-22 at the break.
The second half was a much different story. Jalen Adaway, who had quietly had a strong first half from the field, came out and dominated. His athleticism was on full display with his no-step two-handed power slam off a pass from Sam Skaggs. Logansport’s defense picked up their intensity and held McCutcheon to 7 third quarter points. Logansport won the third quarter 20-7 and from that point on, controlled the game. McCutcheon trailed 42-40 headed into the final quarter.
Phinisee had been held without a point in the second half until about the 6-minute mark of the fourth quarter. Matt Jennings and Sam Skaggs stepped into some big three-point shots for Logansport off beautiful passes from sophomore guard Will Penny to extend their lead. Adaway controlled the board on both ends and Logansport was able to pull this one out. One of the best games of the season up to this point. Logansport won the second half 32-16 to notch the win 54-49 over McCutcheon.
MVP: Jalen Adaway (Logansport)
Jalen Adaway was slow in the first quarter of the game in terms of getting involved on the offensive end but the explosive senior was great from the floor in this game. Adaway put up a team high 17 points (3-4 2FG, 3-4 3FG, and 4-4 FT), a game high 14 rebounds (12 defensive and 2 offensive), a game high 6 blocked shots, 2 steals, and 2 assists. Shooting 75% from the floor and producing such a strong performance on both ends of the floor is what Adaway is known for doing. He put on a show last night and really controlled the second half of this game.
Best Offensive Performance: Hunter DeHaven (Logansport)
Hunter DeHaven could have been listed as the Best Under-The-Radar Performance as well. The senior forward found openings in the back side of McCutcheon’s zone at the most opportune times for the Berries. DeHaven finished with 14 points (7-7 2FG), 6 rebounds (4 defensive and 2 offensive), and 1 assists. DeHaven finished extremely well around the rim (100% from the floor) and was effective on the back-line of the zone. His movement and floor position opened things up for his teammates as well.
Best Defensive Performance: Eddy Collins (McCutcheon)
Eddy Collins is known for his offensive abilities to score at all three-levels, but on a night where he couldn’t get it going, he helped out a ton on the defensive end. Collins used his quickness and quick hands to bother ball handlers all night. He stripped a few guys when they got complacent with the ball in their hands. Collins finished with a game high in steals. His stat line: 9 points (1-3 2FG, 1-6 3FG, and 4-4 FT), 2 defensive rebounds, 1 assist, and a game high 5 steals. He had some big steals down the stretch but McCutcheon couldn’t convert when they needed to.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Robert Phinisee (McCutcheon)
Although it wasn’t really Under-The-Radar, Phinisee put together a solid game even when he didn’t shoot well from the floor. Robert was really good in the first quarter of the game but seemed to tail off with his aggressiveness as the game wore on. Phinisee finished with 21 points (6-13 2FG, 2-8 3FG, and 3-3 FT), 7 rebounds (6 defensive and 1 offensive), a game-tying high 5 assists, 4 steals, and 1 blocked shot. He was obviously frustrated on the offensive end because Logansport was keying in on him. Even with his offensive struggled, Phinisee managed to keep his team in the game with other contributions.
Best Player Off-The-Bench: Will Penny (Logansport)
Will Penny is a 2019 guy who comes Off-The-Bench for No. 5 Logansport and adds another dimension for them at the guard position. He has good length for a 6’3” guard and has decent athleticism as well. Penny finished with 2 points (1-2 2FG and 0-2 3FG), 4 rebounds (3 defensive and 1 offensive), and a game-tying and team high 5 assists. Penny used his length and court awareness to make the extra pass on multiple occasions that lead to wide-open threes from Jennings. Penny got starter-like minutes late in the game and seemed comfortable in the closing possessions taking care of the ball.
Best Quiet Impact: Matt Jennings (Logansport)
In a poor offensive game from both teams, Jennings seemed to make shots in the biggest moments and when Logansport needed some offense. Jennings finished with 13 points (2-5 2FG and 3-8 3FG), 7 rebounds (6 defensive and 1 offensive), 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 blocked shot. Jennings made two of his three three-pointers in the second half when Logansport was starting to struggle on the offensive end. His tenacity and hustle on the defensive end of the floor also brought the team to life during runs by McCutcheon.
Best Intangibles: Haden Deaton (McCutcheon)
On a night that Deaton was honored before the game for surpassing the 1,000-point career mark, ironically he struggled to get it going on the offensive end. Although that wasn’t working, he put in the effort and hustle into other aspects of the game to help McCutcheon keep it close. Deaton finished with 6 points (3-8 2FG, 0-4 3FG, and 0-2 FT), a team high 10 rebounds (6 defensive and 4 offensive), 2 steals, and 1 assist. Deaton has a high basketball IQ and is aware of everything going on during the game. His composure and leadership will help McCutcheon down the line as the look to make another state run.
Best Rebounder: Jalen Adaway (Logansport)
Adaway has elite athleticism and it was on full display last night. His explosion and strength make him a tremendous rebounder for his size. The 6’5” senior pulled down a game high 14 rebounds (12 defensive and 2 offensive) in last night’s comeback win. Adaway seemed to be in the mix on every defensive rebounding opportunity. Jalen will be a great player at the next level if he continues to rebound at the high rate that he did last night.
Best Underclassmen: Sam Skaggs (Logansport)
Sam Skaggs is the starting point guard for Logansport and has control of their offense. He is a good passer and can make open shots given the time to get his shot off. Skaggs finished with Skaggs finished with 6 points (0-2 2FG and 2-5 3FG), 3 rebounds (2 defensive and 1 offensive), 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 blocked shot. Skaggs put together a complete game and really helped the Berries protect the ball down-the-stretch to complete the comeback.
Biggest Takeaway: Tale of Two Halves
McCutcheon dominated the first 16 minutes, Logansport dominated the final 16 minutes. It was truly the tail of two halves. Phinisee was great early on for McCutcheon and Adaway was great for Logansport in the second half. Logansport looked like a completely different team in the second half and they really shut down Phinisee and the McCutcheon offense. Both teams played zone the entire game and frustrated the opposing offenses.