10 Best: Hampton vs. Maury
It was a battle of two completely different teams in the 757 area on Monday night, with a spot in the 5A State Tournament on the line. Hampton, the Pensouth Conference Champions from the Peninsula traveled to the other side…
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Continue ReadingIt was a battle of two completely different teams in the 757 area on Monday night, with a spot in the 5A State Tournament on the line. Hampton, the Pensouth Conference Champions from the Peninsula traveled to the other side of the water to face Conference 9 runner-up Maury from Norfolk. The Crabbers, who feature three division one signees in the backcourt, showed their experience and winning ways against a Maury team with three talented sophomores in the backcourt, a place the Crabbers were in two years ago.
Hampton jumped out to a quick lead, with ODU commit Marquis Godwin getting hot early. The Commodores didn’t back down despite trailing by 15 midway through the second quarter, and they cut the lead to single digits late in the quarter, but headed into halftime trailing 38-27.
Maury continued to fight, opening the second half on a 5-0 run and cutting the deficit to six, but the Crabbers continually found a way to answer each run. They were able to open it up late, and came away victorious 63-49, earning themselves a spot in the 5A State Tournament.
MVP | Marquis Godwin | Hampton ’17
Godwin’s hot shooting in the first half was a big reason that the Crabbers went into halftime with a double digit lead, one they never let go of. The ODU commit was feeling it early and his teammates kept feeding him, as he finished with 14 points in the first half alone. With the rest of his team off to a sluggish start, he was able to pick up the slack and help his team gain an early lead and keep it.
Play of the Game
There were a number of big plays for both teams in the game, and while one of his breakaway dunks could’ve been the play of the game, Hofstra commit Jalen Ray ran a pick-and-roll that was so pretty it has to be mentioned. The lefty came off the screen early in the fourth quarter going right, felt the man come over top, changed pace with a hesitation and attacked the retreating big man hard. Seeing no one step up, he attacked the big with a crossover and was able to finish through contact, it was text book and pretty.
Best Offensive Performer | Marquis Godwin | Hampton ’17
Godwin only had three points after intermission, finishing with 17 points on the game, but he was still efficient in the way he scored it. He finished 5-for-8 from deep, 4-for-5 in the first half, and he still found a way to be productive even when he wasn’t scoring it for them. He finished with 17 points and six rebounds on the night.
Best Defensive Performer | Mathias Caver | Hampton ’17
While Godwin had the hot hand in the first half, Caver picked up the slack in the second half, scoring 13 of his 15 after intermission. However, it was the energy and plays he made defensively that really stood out. The 6’4” forward is the closest thing the Crabbers have to a big man in the starting lineup, but nonetheless he protected the paint in a big way. He finished with four blocks and two steals on the night, and he also made big plays offensively to put it away.
Best Guy off the Bench | Darius Kemp | Maury ’17
Neither team saw a lot of production from their bench, and Kemp was by far the high scorer off the bench with 9 points. In the second half, he hit two big time threes, and his length and energy off the bench were also big, as he pitched in four rebounds as well.
Best Under the Radar Performer | Zaire Baines | Maury ’17
Baines, a football star as well, may not look like it, but he can shoot it! The 6’6”, 280 lbs. big man helped the Commodores make a run early in the second half, as he scored the first five points of the half by himself. He also manned the post well when he was in the game, clearing out space and hitting the glass hard. He finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Best Intangibles | Jalen Ray | Hampton ’17
There’s just something about a player who can make big plays in big situations, and Ray found a way to do that whether the ball was in his hands or not. It seemed like whenever Maury was making a run, Ray jumped a passing lane for a steal, or came hard off the ball screen and drew a foul. It’s even more entertaining to watch when you’ve seen him develop over the past three seasons. The Hofstra commit finished with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Best Underclassman | Chase Coleman | Maury ‘19
Coleman didn’t have a good second half, but he showed the promise that we’ve seen in the past in the first half. The 5’9” point guard played with poise, controlling the tempo for his team and getting everyone involved using his vision and passing ability. He also understood when he needed to attack, and he made shots in the first half that had you shaking your head. He finished with 14 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds despite not being able to find his stroke in the second half.
Best Passer | Corey Joyner | Hampton ’17
The forgotten guard in the starting lineup, Joyner was a rock for them throughout the game. While he started the game shooting well, scoring eight points on perfect shooting from the floor in the first half, he continued his productive ways by distributing and creating for others. While Maury tried to get the ball out of the hands of Ray and Norfolk State commit Mastadi Pitt, Joyner made them pay by making good decisions and delivering on point passes in the right situations. He finished with six assists to just one turnover.
Storyline to Watch Moving Forward
Hampton gets their fourth matchup with crosstown rival Bethel after they beat Green Run in a close matchup after. The Crabbers have come away victorious in two of the three previous games, but when two rivals meet in a playoff matchup, records and previous results are completely thrown out of the window. While both teams have clinched a spot in the 5A State Tournament, there will still be plenty of pride on the line for both teams.