Ten Best: Saginaw High @ Mt. Pleasant
This was a huge game for Mt. Pleasant, as Saginaw came to their house ranked top 10 in the state (Class A) and leading the SVL North. The win would mark only the second time in program history that Mt.…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThis was a huge game for Mt. Pleasant, as Saginaw came to their house ranked top 10 in the state (Class A) and leading the SVL North. The win would mark only the second time in program history that Mt. Pleasant has defeated Saginaw High; the only other time coming in 2010 by way of Trey Zeigler, who would finish second in Mr. Basketball voting that year and go on to play at CMU, Pitt and finally TCU.
Mt. Pleasant took advantage of a sluggish start by Saginaw and never looked back. They opened the game running the offense through senior Obie Ricumstrict, who had himself quite a game. With additional help from known bomber Noah Ingram and a strong performance from Cam Mitchell, Mt. Pleasant was able to score easily against what is known as one of the better pressure defenses in the state. While their offense was impressive, what won the game for Mt. Pleasant was their defense. They were able to limit potential D1 guard Qua Southward to just 9 points, but more importantly completely took away his ability to create plays for himself or his teammates. As a team, Saginaw struggled to get good looks due to Mt. Pleasant’s effort on defense. This would be the trend until the final minutes of the 4th quarter when Saginaw finally was able to generate consistent offense, but by then it was too little too late. This was a sound victory for Mt. Pleasant whichever way you choose to look at it.
Here are some standouts from the game:
Player of the game: Obie Ricumstrict (Mt Pleasant)
A University of Cincinnati baseball commit, Ricumstrict dominated this game in just about every way possible. He scored at will; in fact, there was a play where he literally scored over/through 4 of Saginaw’s 5 defenders. He rebounded and defended, as his primary assignment defensively was Qua Southward. As previously mentioned, Ricumstrict and Mt. Pleasant as a whole did a fantastic job of shutting him down. He finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and a steal. He was clearly the best player on the floor throughout the entire game.
Offensive player of the game: Henry Speight (Saginaw)
While a strong case for this award can be made for Ricumstrict, I have to give the nod to Speight on this one simply because of the fact that he was the only player on his team that was making plays consistently. Speight is listed at 6’4″ 185lbs, but that doesn’t do him justice. Simply put, he is a man. While he lacks the height, he has the strength and aggressiveness to bang with taller post players. Such was the case against Mt. Pleasant, as they had no answer for Speight when he sought to attack the rim. A couple ticky-tack charge calls were the only thing limiting him from completely dominating the paint in this game. Speight also has the ability to knock down threes or put the ball on the floor and create and he showed both in this game. While his final line of 22 points (including two 3s), 8 rebounds, a steal and a block may not be mind-blowing, Speight was Saginaw’s only source of offense multiple times throughout the course of the game.
Defensive player of the game: Obie Ricumstrict
This is quite obvious when you look at Qua Southward’s stat line for the game. Ricumstrict locked him up, plain and simple. He put the exclamation point on it when he volleyball-spiked a shot attempt from Southward into the bleachers. He had 2 blocks, a steal and 11 rebounds. Pretty impressive defensive stats from a guard.
Best Bench Player: Damarrion Burton (Saginaw)
For Mt. Pleasant, their bench was virtually non-existent statistically. Saginaw’s bench, however, goes deep as 11 players saw time on the floor. Of the 6 bench players to see time, senior guard Damarrion Burton had the biggest impact. He was active in bits everywhere, from defense to rebounding to playmaking. He finished with 4 points, 4 rebounds, an assist and 2 steals.
Best Intangibles: Benjamin Frazier (Saginaw)
Frazier was very active on defense and was a good spark for what seemed like an overall dull Saginaw team. He is very fast and, when he was in, did a good job pressuring Mt. Pleasant’s guards. He also had two or three good passes that set his teammates up for an easy bucket. It was obvious he was hustling the hardest when he was on the floor. He finished with 2 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal.
Best play of the game: Obie Ricumstrict
While he made several plays throughout the course of the game that were huge for his team, no play was bigger than Ricumstrict’s emphatic block on a Qua Southward shot attempt. He volleyball-spiked the ball out of bounds with force seemingly equivalent to an Olympic volleyball player. It was really the defining play of the game, as it was a perfect example of Mt. Pleasant’s shutdown defense on Southward and Saginaw as a whole.
Best under-the-radar performance: Bailey Mitchell (Mt. Pleasant)
Mitchell is a 6’4″ senior guard/forward who was easily the best role player in this game. He could be a solid 3-and-D player at the JuCo level, as he can shoot the three reliably, defend and rebound. He did all of these in this game, as he finished with a final line of 12 points (two 3s), 4 rebounds and a steal.
Best Underclassmen: Freddie McIntosh (Saginaw)
McIntosh had an impact on the game similar to Burton or Frazier. He was essentially an energy guy and a role player. His defense impressed me for a small freshmen. He did a bit of playmaking for his teammates offensively as well. This was a game dominated by seniors, and the couple underclassmen that saw time for Mt. Pleasant did not play well. McIntosh finished with 2 points, 2 rebounds, an assist and 2 steals.
Unsung Hero: Cam Mitchell (Mt. Pleasant)
A Northwood baseball commit, Mitchell was surprisingly effective in this game. He was often times the third ball primary ballhandler/playmaker, a position that is particularly difficult against Saginaw’s pressure defense. He did a solid job taking care of the ball, setting up his teammates and hitting his open shots. He finished with 9 points and 2 assists.
Best story to watch going forward:
This win gives Mt. Pleasant a half game lead for second place in the conference (over Saginaw Arthur Hill). While Saginaw High still leads the conference, Mt. Pleasant is a close second and could make a run at the title if they finish the remainder of their conference play strong. Regardless of whether or not Mt. Pleasant is able to do this, the rematch of this game at Saginaw High will most definitely be a hype game. No matter who you are, when you take a loss to a team for just the second time in program history it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. This was by all means an upset, but with Mt. Pleasant beating Saginaw High so soundly, it brings great anticipation for the rematch. It will be interesting to see if playing on their home court will make the difference for Saginaw High.