Class 3A Marion Regional Semi-Finals
Class 3A Marion Regional Semi-Finals
Final Score Game #1: Marion 66 – Northwood 51
Game #1 Recap
Marion got out of the gates a little slow and Northwood came ready to play in the first quarter. Kaden Gongwer had it going from deep and was letting it fly early and often. Jalen Blackmon kept his team in the game with some great passes and offensive play. Northwood lead 15-14 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was when Marion’s defense started to take effect and they started to create a little distance with their level of play. The Giants energy propelled them into halftime as they had the lead at 29-27.
Coming out of halftime, there were two completely different teams. Marion was all over Northwood’s guards the entire game with their 1-2-2 full court press. It didn’t take long for the two-point lead to stretch to a double digit lead. Northwood’s hot shooting cooled down but Caleb Lung’s rebounding efforts helped them stay within striking distance heading into the fourth quarter. Marion won the third quarter 12-5 and had a 40-32 lead heading into the final frame.
Jalen Blackmon’s poise and offensive abilities shined in the fourth quarter. For a freshman, he controlled the pace of the game extremely well and took advantage of what Northwood’s defense was giving him. He didn’t have a good game from deep but still put together an outstanding performance to propel the Giants to the Regional Championship game tonight against New Castle. Tyrese Cobb had a great performance off the bench and changed the outlook of the game with his – defensive presence at the top of the half court zone. Marion knocked off Northwood 66-51 following a 26-point fourth quarter explosion.
Statistical Notes [Marion]:
Jalen Blackmon (2021) – 22 points (3-3 2FG, 3-11 3FG, 7-8 FT), 7 defensive rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 steals
Dre Aguilar (2019) – 10 points (4-4 2FG and 2-3 FT), 3 rebounds (2 offensive and 1 defensive), 2 blocks, 2 steals, and 2 assists
Latrell Simpson (2019) – 9 points (0-5 2FG and 3-6 3FG), 2 defensive rebounds, and 2 steals
Tyrese Cobb (2018) – 9 points (3-3 2FG and 3-4 FT), 4 assists, 3 defensive rebounds, and 1 steal
Jakylen Thomas (2020) – 7 points (2-4 2FG and 1-5 3FG) and 3 rebounds (2 defensive and 1 offensive)
Statistical Notes [Northwood]:
Caleb Lung (2018) – 18 points (8-18 2FG and 2-2 FT), 14 rebounds (10 offensive and 4 defensive), 3 assists, and 1 steal
Kaden Gongwer (2019) – 15 points (1-4 2FG, 4-14 3FG, and 1-2 FT), 2 defensive rebounds, 1 assist
Caleb Glick (2018) – 8 points (4-5 2FG and 0-1 3FG), 4 rebounds (2 defensive and 2 offensive), 3 steals, and 1 assist
DeAndre Smart (2018) – 5 points (1-6 2FG and 3-6 FT), 8 rebounds (5 offensive and 3 defensive), and 1 steal
Final Score Game #2: New Castle 49 – Angola 35
Game #2 Recap
Angola and New Castle offered an interesting take on a Regional Semi-Final matchup. Angola wanted to control the pace of the game and keep it low scoring while New Castle’s high-powered trio of Mason Gillis, Luke Bumbalough, and Niah Williamson wanted to get up and down. Angola was able to execute their game plan early on and keep it within a few possessions. The Trojans lead 9-5 after the first quarter and didn’t seem to be in any sort of offensive flow. The second quarter was much of the same as Angola was able to slow the game down and make it a low-possession, high risk game. They trailed 18-15 after winning the second quarter 10-9.
The first two minutes of the third quarter proved that New Castle could take over and dominate the game. Mason Gillis controlled the paint and backboards. He turned away shot after shot and was able to score at will at all three levels. His play sparked a quick run by New Castle to stretch the lead and they never looked back. Angola trailed 35-27 heading into the fourth quarter and they weren’t able to get any openings for their best player, Braxton Meek who had ten in the first half.
The fourth quarter was exactly the same as the third. New Castle continued to go to Gillis and he delivered. Williamson and Bumbalough poured in their portion of scoring and the three Trojans accounted for 100% of the team’s offense. Angola struggled to get good looks at the basket with Gillis defending the rim. They didn’t shoot well from deep and couldn’t stop the trio. The lead continued to grow and New Castle took the game 49-35. New Castle advances on to play Marion tonight in the Regional Championship Game at 8:00 p.m.
Statistical Notes [New Castle]:
Mason Gillis (2019) – 27 points (7-14 2FG, 2-2 3FG, 7-9 FT), 14 rebounds (8 defensive and 6 offensive), 7 blocks, and 1 steal
Luke Bumbalough (2019) – 15 points (3-6 2FG, 2-5 3FG, and 3-4 FT), 5 rebounds (4 defensive and 1 offensive), 4 assists, and 2 steals
Niah Williamson (2018) – 7 points (2-5 2FG and 1-3 3FG), 4 rebounds (3 defensive and 1 offensive), and 1 assist
Statistical Notes [Angola]:
Braxton Meek (2018) – 10 points (2-4 2FG, 1-1 3FG, and 3-3 FT) and 4 rebounds (2 defensive and 2 offensive)
Braydon Hart (2018) – 9 points (1-7 2FG, 2-7 3FG, and 1-1 FT), 6 defensive rebounds, 1 block, and 1 assist
Jarret Schultz (2018) – 8 points (4-7 2FG and 0-2 3FG), 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 offensive rebound