Ten Best: Danville (70) vs. Keota (61)
Kole Perkins scored a team-high 18 for Danville Danville 70, Keota 61 Keota made it interesting for a while, but they could never quite get over the hump, as Danville led from start-to-finish en route to a 70-61 win, sending…
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Continue ReadingDanville 70, Keota 61
Keota made it interesting for a while, but they could never quite get over the hump, as Danville led from start-to-finish en route to a 70-61 win, sending the Bears to the District 10 final.
Danville jumped out to a 33-21 lead at the half, using defensive pressure and offensive rebounding to control the first 16 minutes. The Bears shot just 12-38 in the first half, but they held Keota to just 17 field goal attempts, while pulling down 13 offensive rebounds and forcing over a dozen turnovers.
Keota opened the third quarter on a 12-2 run to trim the lead down to two, 35-33, and wound up winning the third 23-12, closing the gap to just a single point heading into the final eight minutes. Danville opened the fourth quarter with a stop and a bucket, and Keota was never able to get any closer.
Danville (18-5) will face New London in the district final on Thursday night at Burlington High School. The Bears split their regular season series with the Tigers. They were led by Kole Perkins, who had 18 points. Kaleb Haeffner added 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Darius Whaley and Max Wilcox each had 11 points for the Bears.
Keota ends the season at 17-6. The Eagles were led by Jacob Wickenkamp, who had a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds. Hunter Wilson added 13 and Avery Conrad had 10 in the loss.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Danville | 14 | 19 | 12 | 25 | 70 |
Keota | 11 | 10 | 23 | 17 | 61 |
Danville: Kole Perkins 18, Kaleb Haeffner 15, Darius Whaley 11, Max Wilcox 11, Bryce Carr 9, Tristan Miller 6
Keota: Jacob Wickenkamp 21, Hunter Wilson 13, Avery Conrad 10, Cole Stout 7, Luke Greiner 6, Jack Eakins 2, JD Stout 2
MVP: Kole Perkins (Danville)
Perkins not only scored a team-high 18 points for the Bears, he also was the player who really spurred their dominant first half performance on the defensive end. He got his hands on over a dozen passes, either deflecting them or outright coming away with a steal. He was active on that end of the floor all night, and showed the ability to score from anywhere on the floor.
Play of the game: Danville gets a stop and a score to start the fourth quarter
Keota was in the midst of a big run to cut the Danville lead down to just one to start the fourth quarter. The Eagles opened the quarter with the ball, and the chance to take their first lead. Danville was able to come up with a stop on that end, then came down and Kaleb Haeffner missed a shot, got his own rebound and put it back in for a bucket to help spur a 7-0 run to start the quarter. Keota never got any closer.
Best offensive performance: Jacob Wickenkamp (Keota)
A strong, physical lead guard for the Eagles, Wickenkamp took over for a while in the third quarter, scoring 12 points on 5-5 shooting and helping close the gap. He ended up with a game-high 21 points on 8-9 shooting, pulled down 11 rebounds and had three assists as well. He’s a capable shooter from the arc, but where he truly excels is pulling down a rebound and pushing in transition, where he’s tough to stop once he gets headed downhill.
Best defensive performance: Kole Perkins (Danville)
If I had been tracking deflections and tipped passes, the 6-4 wing probably would’ve had close to 20. He got his hands on nearly every pass Keota made in the first half, using his length and athleticism to fly all over the court. He blocked two shots as well, but the real impact came with his deflections and not allowing the Eagles to ever really get into their offense.
Best shooter: Max Wilcox (Danville)
The 5-8 sophomore guard shot just 2-8 from the arc, certainly not the best numbers of any player in this game. But his form is smooth, with a quick release and he moves very well off the ball to find spaces in the defense. He knocked down a mid-range jumper in addition to his pair of 3s, and while he had a bit of a rough night from the floor, it’s evident that the kid can shoot the lights out if he gets going with extended range.
Best passer: Kaleb Haeffner (Danville)
Danville’s big man put together a really solid all-around offensive game, scoring 15 points and scoring at will whenever he touched the ball in the paint. Where he truly shined, however, was as a passer from the high post. He uses his height to see over the defense and snaps crisp, accurate passes to cutters for layups. He’s got good vision and puts the right amount of heat on his passes to make sure they get through the defense.
Best rebounder: Darius Whaley (Danville)/Jacob Wickenkamp (Keota)
Whaley, another of Danville’s sophomore guards, was exceptional on the glass, pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds. He was in constant motion, and outhustling people to loose balls was a huge reason he pulled down eight offensive rebounds. Wickenkamp is a high-level athlete who does a nice job boxing out and outleaping players for rebounds. A strong, physical guard, he pulled down 11 for Keota.
Best underclassman: Darius Whaley (Danville)
For the majority of the season, it has been Max Wilcox who has been the top sophomore guard for Danville. In this game, it was Whaley. He got to the rim and finished a few times, and scored 11 points. Where he truly shone was on the glass, pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds. He was in constant motion, and made a major impact on the game with his hustle plays getting the Bears some extra possessions.
Stat of the game: 18 offensive rebounds for Danville
Keota did a better job keeping the Bears off the offensive glass in the second half, but Danville’s 13 first half offensive rebounds helped set the tone for the rest of the game. The Bears had the size edge and were much more aggressive on the glass on both ends of the floor. Danville took 19 more shots in the game, in large part because of the extra possessions they grabbed on the offensive glass.
What to watch for in the District 10 final: The Kaleb Haeffner vs. Ben Dentlinger matchup
Danville and New London split their regular season series, with New London winning early in the year by 20 and Danville winning later by five. In the first meeting, Ben Dentlinger played for New London and Haeffner was just 5-18 from the floor en route to 15 points. In the second meeting, Dentlinger was injured and Haeffner scored 30 points on 10-18 shooting. With Dentlinger back in the lineup for New London, can Haeffner find a way to be more efficient?