Five Takeaways: Olathe South-Spring Hill
Five Takeaways: Spring Hill-Olathe South
Prep Hoops takes a look at five things that stood out in Spring Hill.
SPRING HILL, Kan. — Olathe South knocked off the host Spring Hill, 56-39, in the opening round of the Spring Hill Invitational on Tuesday. With the win, the Falcons advance to face the winner between Veritas Christian and Gardner, which was slated to be played later Tuesday night.
On Tuesday, the Falcons got a game-high 12 points from Zach Toutges. while Brady Johnson added 11 points.
Here, Prep Hoops takes a look at five things that stood out about the contest.
Johnson, Toutges put together solid game for South
Olathe South’s backcourt of Brady Johnson and Zach Toutges put together a solid game for the Falcons, handling the ball, putting points on the board and knocking down clutch free throws. A quick 5’10 2019 point guard, Johnson knocked down a 3-pointer, led all scorers with eight points in the first half as South built a 32-16 lead at the break, and finished with 11 points. A 5’11 2018 guard, Toutges led all scorers with 12 points, including eight in the fourth quarter as the Falcons began to pull away. The two players combined to go 11 for 13 at the free throw line in the contest.
Spring Hill has depth, size on roster
The Broncos have size and plenty of and will be tough for some teams to match up with this season. On Tuesday, Spring Hill started 6’8 2018 post Brock LaPlante, and 6’5 2019 forward Brennen Feeback and while they didn’t put up a big stat line, the pair combined to help get Olathe South big ma Preston Schuck to the bench with two fouls just seconds into the game. The Broncos also got a big lift off the bench from 6’4 2019 guard/forward Easton Jones, who came in to score three points and grab five rebounds, and 6’2 2020 forward Alex Johnson, who knocked down four 3-pointers and led Spring Hill with 12 points off the bench.
Kobe off the bench
Olathe South 6’4 2019 guard Kobe McKinley gave the Falcons big minutes off the bench, bringing athleticism and a nose for the ball to the court. He went for seven points, including a 3 and a pair of free throws, and led both teams with seven rebounds. He is an athletic wing player who can handle the ball a little and makes plays at the defensive end of the court.
Ewing comes up big on the wing
Spring Hill plays hard and few players embody that spirit more than 6’3 2018 guard/forward Nate Ewing. Although he scored just six points, Ewing was seemingly everywhere, brings a tough, hard-nosed effort to the court. He led Spring Hill with seven rebounds and was a big part of the team’s third quarter rally which saw them cut a 32-16 halftime deficit to 39-33 before Olathe South pulled away in the fourth quarter.
South to face Gardner in semifinals
With the win Olathe South improves to 6-5 this season and will have a date against Gardner-Edgerton in a semifinal contest on Thursday at Spring Hill. Gardner snapped a three-game losing streak on Tuesday and improved to 4-5 this season with a x-x win over Veritas Christian.