5 Takeaways: Belmont vs. Stivers
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Belmont High School was loud Friday night as the Bison took on the Stivers Tigers in a Dayton City League matchup. Stivers guard Trevon Ellis (2020) led all scorers with 25. Both teams looked sluggish as this game went back and forth before Belmont came out with a 59-52 victory. Here are the 5 takeaways from the game.
Belmont has the athleticism to compete with Division I schools
For the past several years, Belmont has jumped around during tournament time playing in Division I and Division II. This year, they fell into D.I play. From watching the start of this game, Belmont has a starting 5 that is capable of hanging with several Division I programs they may face come tournament time. Jadon Furlow (2018), Jeff Hunt (2018), and Latrell Estes (2020) were the most impressive players.
The bench needs to step up
As good as Belmont’s starters played, the bench needs to improve drastically if they are to compete the rest of the season. As soon as Furlow came out of the game, the shot blocking aspect disappeared. No one really sparked for the Bison off the bench and as a result, the game stayed close and the lead was exchanged several times.
The future is bright at Stivers
The Tigers only have 3 seniors on roster and will bring back many players for next season. Trevon Ellis (2020) is a name to watch in the Class of 2020. He is a slashing guard that makes his impact on the offensive end. Doug Spear (2020) complimented Ellis and formed a backcourt that can give Stivers a chance of competing in the coming years. While Ellis makes plays by scoring, Spear impacts with his ability to get the ball to teammates and uses his speed to draw defenses especially when driving to the basket.
Unforced errors plagued both teams
The common theme for this matchup was sloppiness. Both teams struggled to make plays and a lot of guys looked sluggish. The Bison went nearly 3 weeks without playing before their matchup with Franklin last Tuesday, so they are continuing to get back into rhythm. Stivers backcourt was impressive, but had moments where they struggled, specifically when Belmont extended their pressure defensively in the half court. On the opposite side, Belmont had many turnovers against Stivers press as they attempted to complete full court passes that were intercepted.
Belmont controls their own destiny
As of right now, Belmont stands alone at the top of the Dayton City League, however they can make or break their season over the next few games. 7 of their next 12 games are City League opponents, including 2 matchups with Thurgood Marshall and Ponitz Tech. January 26th will be a date to watch as Belmont hosts Dunbar in a game that could determine the outcome of the League. Dunbar was currently riding a 5 game win streak going into their matchup with Meadowdale on Friday.