Five Takeaways: Noblesville at Fishers
Game Recap: Noblesville at Fishers
Final Score: Noblesville 27 – Fishers 22
This was a game that had a good flow to it but never seemed to take off in the scoring column. Fishers had a few stints where they held the ball at half court for a few minutes to try and bring Noblesville out of their zone, but it didn’t happen. Noblesville changed their zone scheme from a 2-3 to a 1-3-1 and 1-2-2 repeatedly throughout the night to keep the Tigers off balance. At the end of the first quarter, Fishers lead 8-4 behind 6 points from Terry Hicks. They held the Millers scoreless in the second quarter and took a 15-4 lead into the break. Terry Hicks, Willie Jackson, and Jeremy Szilagyi paced Fishers through the first two quarters.
Coming out of the break, it looked like both teams were going to struggle even more than they did in the first half. Zach Johnson of Noblesville was the most aggressive player in the gym last night and it began to pay off in a game that had possessions with thirty or more passes before anything happened. Johnson lead the Millers back into the game in the third quarter as they trailed 17-10 at the end of the third.
The final quarter finally showed glimpses of how these teams should play the remainder of the year. Zach Johnson continued to stay aggressive and made a few big plays down the stretch that flipped the momentum in their favor. The Tigers really struggled when it came down to getting good shots after taking long possessions. They never seemed to get in a flow offensively as they tried to slow the game down when they may have been better off running the Millers out of the gym. Fishers was more talented by Noblesville’s patience and execution won out. Noblesville walked away with a 17-point fourth quarter and a 27-22 win over the Tigers.
Noblesville’s Lack of Depth
Noblesville has a deep varsity roster but they don’t go deep into their bench in games. Only seven players saw the floor last night for the Millers and two of them recorded one rebounded in their relief minutes. Head Coach McCauley relies heavily on his starting five to carry the load for this team. Xavier Hines and Zach Johnson look to be the two that will shoulder most of the scoring load throughout the season. They will need to have guys come off the bench and give productive minutes if they are going to be successful this season. When Hines missed most of the third quarter with an ankle injury, Alex Hancock came off the bench with some energy and provided a spark on defense with his length.
Fisher’s Half Court Style
Fisher’s has some good athletes at the guard and wing positions but mainly looked to keep the game in the half court last night. Noblesville was retreating to a zone defense and Fishers was content taking long possessions and looking for great shots. It worked out well for them in the first quarter and early second quarter but they couldn’t seem to crack the defense when they started to extend. One way to beat a zone is to beat it down the floor before it can get set up. Lead guards Willie Jackson and Josiah Matthews are willing passers and looked good in the few open court opportunities that they had last night. Terry Hicks is also another one of those guys who would play better in a more open style of play in transition. As the season wears on, they may have to pick and choose their opportunities when it comes to playing quicker because they had too many waster possessions with half court turnovers last night.
Lack of Offense and Confidence
As last night’s contest progressed, the lack of confidence in some guys stood out on the offensive end. Aside from Terry Hicks who finished with 11 points (5-8 2FG and 1-3 FT), 4 rebounds (3 defensive and 1 offensive), 1 block and 1 steal, Fishers didn’t have much going for them offensively. As a team, they only took 24 total shot attempts in the entire game. With those numbers, it’s difficult to rely on the defense to hold a team to such a low point total. Zach Johnson finished with a game high 17 points (3-8 2FG, 1-2 3FG, and 8-8 FT), 1 defensive rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Without his offensive production, Noblesville would have scored 10 points. The Millers had a total of 29 shots attempts in the game. Both teams moving forward will have to find more ways to get the ball in the basket.
Jackson and Szilagyi Turn in Good Lines Aside from Scoring
Although Willie Jackson only posted two, he did have a bigger impact on the game. He finished with 2 points (0-2 2FG and 2-2 FT), 3 rebounds (2 defensive and 1 offensive), a game high 3 steals, and 2 assists. In a game that didn’t offer many opportunities to get into the stat sheet, Jackson looked great with the ball in his hands. He’s quick, strong, and has great court vision. He will be a key guy to the Tiger’s success this season. Jeremy Szilagyi is another one of those guys who will post great offensive numbers throughout the season but found other ways to impact the game last night. Szilagyi finished with 3 points (0-1 2FG and 1-4 3FG), 4 defensive rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He is one of the best set shooters in the Indianapolis area but couldn’t find the range last night against the zone. He moves well without the ball in his hands and will continue to be an all-around guy moving forward for Fishers.
Xavier Hines’ Off Night
From the get go, Hines looked to be a step slow in this game. He is the first option on offense for Noblesville and will be so for the remainder of the season. He finished with 4 points (2-5 2FG and 0-3 3FG), 1 steal, and 1 block. Although this was an off night for Xavier, he did step up as a vocal leader in crucial moments. His ability to lead a short-handed team will be huge for this team moving forward. Noblesville demands a lot out of their six or seven-man rotation and keeping them all on track will be instrumental down the stretch. Hines left the game midway through the third quarter with an ankle injury but returned in the fourth and helped carry the momentum they were building up. Noblesville came out with a victory but Xavier will be a player to watch moving forward.