Standouts: Durant at Newsome
On a night where points were hard to come by but turnovers were not, Durant held on for a 49-44 road win over Newsome.
The Cougars were led by senior guard Darrius DeJesus and his 14 points. Senior guard Akeem Burton and junior guard Jeff White each had 12 points for Durant.
Newsome earned a game-high 17 points from Isaiah Islam while junior forward Logan Ortiz had nine points and senior guard Marcus Morin recorded eight points.
Here are the top standouts from the Wednesday night meeting.
Darrius DeJesus (Durant)
The senior guard led the charge for the Cougars. DeJesus took advantage of good passes from Burton and White. He had eight points at the half and tacked on six more over the final two quarters. His performance was just enough for Durant to hang on for the win.
Isaiah Islam (Newsome)
Islam had no points in the first quarter as his group had only six to show for themselves. However, he excelled in the second quarter with 10 points which included a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Islam had some bright moments for Newsome but the Wolves simply didn’t get him the ball enough on the night. He is a good attacker and is strong with the ball.
Jeff White (Durant)
The younger brother of 2017 graduate Tyler White, Jeffery has plenty of scoring ability. He paced DeJesus with 12 points despite not making baskets on a consistent clip. White is a fine dribbler and a good passer. When he makes 3’s, Durant is going to score a whole lot more.
Marcus Morin/Logan Ortiz (Newsome)
Morin and Ortiz each played a part for Newsome. Morin had eight points with a couple of nice floaters on attacks while Ortiz made all of his nine points on 3’s. The duo will have to score in bunches alongside Islam this season. Ortiz is a lengthy forward who commands attention beyond the arc and Morin is crafty.
Akeem Burton (Durant)
Burton scored seven of his 12 points in the fourth quarter alone. He was mainly setting things up across the first three quarters. The Plant City senior transfer is important for Durant and they put a lot on his shoulders. Burton is a player to watch for the Cougars.