Ten Best: Southwood vs. Oak Hill
It was a back and forth affair for most of the night as Southwood got out in an early lead while Oak Hill played catch up. However, Southwood had a big third quarter to pull away and despite a few…
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Continue ReadingIt was a back and forth affair for most of the night as Southwood got out in an early lead while Oak Hill played catch up. However, Southwood had a big third quarter to pull away and despite a few rallies late, they were able to hold off Oak Hill for a 60-52 victory on Friday night.
MVP: Carson Blair (Southwood)
Carson was the catalyst for Southwood in this one. He was stellar from start to finish and gave them big shot after big shot in the final quarter of the game when Oak Hill was trying to rally. He seriously matched Oak Hill on his own for three straight possessions where he scored 8 points in that time. He finished with 16 points, 4 assists, and 2 rebounds.
Play of the Game: Carson Blair (Southwood)
The play of the game came from Blair late in the game when Oak Hill was finally starting to hit shots in the fourth quarter and Blair single-handedly was able to match them. He scored 8 points in about four possessions, tying Oak Hill’s run. It was just after the start of the quarter when Oak Hill was down about 10 points and kept trying to dig in but just kept letting Carson hit jumpers. It was the defining aspect of the game.
Best Offensive Performance: Spencer Ballinger (Oak Hill)
The best offensive player of the night was easily Ballinger. He was near perfect from the start of the game. He finished with 18 points on 8/12 shooting, 2/2 from behind the arc. Combine that with his 12 rebounds and you can say that was a great night for him. He’s a jump shooter and even though he only had a pair of triples, he hit a ton more in the mid-range.
Best Defensive Performance: Dallas Holmes (Southwood)
In the first half of the game, no one played better than Dallas Holmes. He was stellar on offense in the first half but his defense spread out for the entire game. He was a stopper. He was there for clutch rebounds when Oak Hill would miss a shot and he wouldn’t allow them to continue their run. He finished with 12 rebounds to go along with 13 points and a pair of steals.
Best Intangibles: Tyce Frank (Oak Hill)
All night long for Oak Hill, they needed extra plays from their roster just to keep the game close and more often than not, it seemed to be Frank. Whether it was his big block in transition or a clutch three in the fourth quarter, he seemed to always be there. He also was big in the offense, dishing out 5 assists. He scored 14 points and grabbed four rebounds as well.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Caleb Middlesworth (Oak Hill)
Hard to see Middlesworth and an under-the-radar guy but the reality is he was coming off of an injury, he wasn’t 100% and you almost had to expect nothing out of him. However, he came on strong in the fourth quarter and finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds. While this game was so oriented on the perimeter with the guards and wings, I think people forgot about the big plays he made late in the game to push them back into contention.
Best Underclassmen: Dallas Holmes (Southwood)
Who knows the future holds for any young prospect but Holmes sure looks like he has a chance. The 6’2 wing is really competitive and he showed how he can affect the game in the first half. His jumper was on and he let it fly on his way to 13 points and 12 rebounds. He has a long, lean frame and paired with that aggressiveness, he can have a chance.
Best Player College Coaches Should Track: Peyton Trexler (Southwood)
In the 2018 class, Peyton Trexler could become a player coaches will really like. He has to polish up his game and continue to add more offense but the raw skill and frame are there and he’s already making an impact like he did in this game. He finished with 11 points on 4/7 shooting and down the stretch he was really big creating steals and dishing out some key assists. Could be a Paul Marandet (Warsaw/Spring Arbor) type guard.
Best Player We Missed: Matthew Nose (Southwood)
Matt was a guy we hadn’t mentioned up until this point but is worth mentioning because his 15 points were massive in this game. He seemed to be the guy making the plays early on in the game. He hit a big triple and then was aggressive going at the rim. He was 6/10 from the field.
Best Storyline Moving Forward: The thing to watch here is if Manchester’s improved play the last couple of games is enough to keep them close in the game against Southwood tonight. This will be a game about guards and Mason Hamby and David McAtee were really good for Manchester. However, they have already lost twice to Southwood by a combined 33 points. If they can slow the pace and keep the score in the 50’s Manchester has a shot.