Prep Hoops 10 Best: Tea Area vs. Aberdeen Christian
Aberdeen Christian kept it close early in the first quarter, but Tea Area’s stifling 2-2-1 full-court defense early on made it hard on the Knights to advance the ball. The Titans went on a 10-3 run to end the first quarter with a 22-10 lead. The second quarter was the turning point as the Knights would be outscored 18-6 in the second quarter and trailed 40-16 at halftime. The Titans would ride the momentum the rest of the game and would take the victory 66-32.
MVP: Tea’s Mason Ritter
In a game where Tea Area’s star guard Noah Friedel only had 8 points, Mason Ritter picked up the scoring load this time. Ritter went for 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, pulled down 3 rebounds and was a perfect 4-4 on free throws. He showed that he could take it to the hole and get to the line as well as shooting from outside.
Play of the game:
Midway through the second quarter Mason Ritter intercepted a pass and took it coast to coast for a layup. It was a great play by the junior to read the eyes of the passer and get in the right position to intercept the pass and then to finish the play at the other end.
Best Offensive Performance: Tea Area’s Big Guys
Tea Area’s big guys dominated the boards and had several points off of very nice post moves. Kaleb Joffer had nine rebounds and of those nine he pulled down five offensive rebounds for second-chance opportunities on the offensive side. Seth Kocer pulled down 5 boards and scored 10 points off the bench including a sweet spin move in the post.
Best Defensive Performance: Tea Area’s Chris Morales
After two quick fouls in the first quarter, Chris Morales really put on the pressure on the defensive side all game. He was at the head of the full-court press creating havoc and even forcing a charge on the perimeter. He made it tough for the Knights point guard to get the offense going.
Best Guy Off the Bench:
Mason Ritter scored 16 to lead the Titans in scoring. He took over the scoring load from Friedel.
Best Intangibles: Aberdeen Christian Players
Even though they came on the road and played the defending State A champs, Aberdeen Christian’s players competed hard to the buzzer. The bench celebrated scores and positive plays.
Best Under-the-Rader Performance:
Seth Kocer had an advantage over the Aberdeen frontline and cashed in on it scoring 10 points off the bench.
Best Underclassmen:
Aberdeen Christian’s sophomore Andrew Rohrbach was aggressive even though he was hounded by Tea Area’s full-court pressure. He got to the free throw line six times and played the most minutes of anyone from both teams. He had an off night shooting, but he showed good handles and had some nice drives to the basket.
Best Passer:
Tea Area’s Noah Freidel usually is on the other side of the stat sheet, but this game he was looking to find the open guy and he succeeded. Friedel ended the game with as many points as he had assists, 8.
Best Coaching Decision/Strategy:
Tea Area’s 2-2-1 full-court pressure was crucial in the first half to build the big lead at halftime. They forced 17 turnovers and held the Knights to 31% shooting on the night. They would change into a 2-3 half-court zone defense and really got after the ball handler and in the passing lanes for fast-break layups.
Final stats from tonight's game. Tea Area defeats Aberdeen Christian 66-32. Tea held the Knights to 31% shooting and forced 17 turnovers. https://t.co/NSnivGj0jv
— Prep Hoops Dakotas (@PrepHoopsDakota) February 3, 2018