Five Takeaways: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers at Homestead
Game Recap: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers at Homestead
Final Score: Homestead 59 – FWBL 44
The atmosphere at this game was electric. Homestead came out early and knocked down shots before Bishop Luers started to do the same. The first quarter finished at 18-17 in favor of the Knights but the second quarter was a different story. Homestead took a 33-22 lead into the break and the Luers offense was struggling to find good looks. In the third quarter, the game returned to more of what the first quarter offered, offense. The Spartans managed to survive a few scoring runs by Bishop Luers. The score was 43-36 heading into the final frame in favor of the home team. Homestead brought their composure and play-making abilities to the table in the fourth quarter and came away with a 59-44 win.
Freshman Standouts
Both teams have standout freshman that find themselves in the starting lineup. Luke Goode of Homestead came out strong last night with 8 first quarter points. Goode had good size and length on the wing for a young player and can get hot in a hurry from deep. Luke finished the game with 10 points (2-2 2FG, and 2-8 3FG), 6 rebounds (3 defensive and 3 offensive), and 1 assist. As the season goes on, he will become one of their better options on offense. Bishop Luers has Naylon Thompson starting in their three-guard lineup. Thompson is creative with the ball in his hands and is a great passer when he gets in the lane. He will continue to get better with experience as he become a better decision maker. Thompson finished with 9 points (3-7 2FG, 1-8 3FG, and 0-1 FT), 3 steals, 2 defensive rebounds, and 2 assists. His effort level and composure are there on both ends of the floor and when he gets it going offensively, he’s tough to stop.
Ezeakudo’s All-Around Game
Onye Ezeakudo has started to come into his own. He completely dominated the game last night and aside from a short stint in the third quarter where he was dealing with an ankle injury. Bishop Luers had a hard time keeping him out of the lane and he finished at the basket at an elite level. Onye uses his change of speed to get defenders off balance and has a lighting quick first step. He finished with a game high 18 points (6-7 2FG and 2-4 3FG), a game high 8 rebounds (5 defensive and 3 offensive), a game high 5 assists, and a game high 7 steals. He left his mark on every single possession and was unstoppable on either end. His quickness and agility lead to easy baskets in the open court in transition. Keep an eye on Onye Ezeakudo from Homestead as he looks to lead this team to a surprisingly strong season.
Homestead’s Dominating Second and Fourth Quarter
Homestead proved that they had the ability to finish games down the stretch. Ezeakudo, Raber, and Buck stepped up late in the game to help this young Spartan team make the plays they needed to when they needed to. Raber and Buck didn’t have outstanding games but they made some key plays on the defensive end to help the team extend their lead. Raber was great from the free throw line in the fourth quarter (5-6 FT) to help them seal the deal. Buck made a couple put backs in the fourth quarter to help extend the lead. Head Coach Chris Johnson has his team buying in to do what it takes to be successful. Without much experience making plays late in games, they seem to have the guys ready to step up and take big shots.
Bishop Luers Inability to Score in the Lane
Bishop Luers lived and died with the three-ball last night. They struggled getting into the lane on a consistent basis and were looking to get bailed out with the foul call when they did. The Knights are guard heavy and they have the ability to get hot from deep. They beat Homestead in the first and third quarters because they got hot from deep and made little runs. The Knights took twenty-five two-point shots and twenty-one three-point shots as a team last night. They finished the night 6-21 from three (28.6%) and 12-25 from inside the arc (48%). Most of their scoring came in spurts and they would find themselves in long droughts without getting a good look at the basket. If they can become more consistent with their movement on offense, they will be a much better offensive team. Bishop Luers has the scoring ability but not the discipline to get good looks every possession.
Homestead’s Early Season Success and Bishop Luers Early Season Struggles
Homestead has gotten off to a great start this season when most had thought they’d struggle early on. They graduated three of their go-to guys last year who all went on to play college basketball but they’ve got some upperclassmen who are stepping up and leading. Onye, Raber, and Buck will be huge for them for the remainder of the season and if they can get consistent play and leadership from them, the younger guys will feed off it and follow suit. Bishop Luers, on the other hand, has struggled to get it going this year. Their inconsistency on offense plays into their willingness to get stops on defense. When things are going well and the ball is going in the basket, they look like a great defensive team as well, but when things aren’t going their way, the wheels fall off.