Standouts From The 1A/2A MPSSAA Semifinal Games
The second day of state semifinal action for the MPSSAA took place this evening at the Xfinity Center. Here are the results from the games:
Dunbar defeats Clear Spring 69-43
Fairmont State defeats Patterson Mill 72-49
Lake Clifton defeats Oakdale 68-61
Dashawn Phillip | 6’4 | Dunbar ’18
Phillip didn’t wait long to impose his will on this game for the Poets. The 6-foot-4 guard finished with a team-high 19 points to go with nine rebounds, three steals and two assists. Phillips, who holds an offer from James Madison, shot an efficient 8-of-12 from the field and was feasting on fast break opportunities off misses from Clear Spring.
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Malik McCormick | 5’10 | Dunbar ’19
McCormick is one of the more overlooked guards in the city, but today he performed well on the biggest stage there is. The 5-foot-10 guard finished with 18 points and mixed it up well offensively. Known for his ability to knock down the long ball, McCormick connected on two of his four attempts from three, but was very effective taking his man off the dribble and creating separation for pull-up jumpers. He also finished with three rebounds, three assists and a steal in the contest.
Jamal West | 6’5 | Dunbar ’20
West didn’t light it up scoring wise, finishing with eight points on 4-of-12 shooting, but he was an absolute monster on the glass. The 6-foot-5 sophomore collected 19 rebounds, nine of which came on the offensive end. West is a promising prospect that has an endless motor and plays with great poise for his age.
Taivon Davis | 6’6′ | Clear Spring ’18
Davis did all he can to keep the Blazers within reach in the first half of play, but his 18 points and six rebounds weren’t enough. Even still, the long 6-foot-6 senior showed some nice glimpses especially in transition. His length assisted him in contesting Dunbar shots in the paint and deflecting a handful of passes, two of which resulted in steals.
Kimani Benjamin | 6’2 | Fairmont Heights ’18
Benjamin led the Hornets with 17 points on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting. The senior guard doesn’t settle for jumpers often, and he didn’t in this game either. The 6-foot-2 lefty made it a priority to get out in transition and use his ability to finish despite being contested. To go with his game-high 17 points, Benjamin had three rebounds and was disruptive on the defensive end with four steals.
Darren Lucas-White | 6’0 | Fairmont Heights
As usual, Lucas-White was the do-it-all player for the Hornets. The skilled guard finished with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. What was more impressive is his one turnover considering how much he has the ball in his hands and how much he has to create for the Hornets. Lucas-White was key in their journey to a 1A state title last season, he’ll be key again as they face Dunbar in Saturday’s match up.
Michael Gray | 5’11 | Lake Clifton ’20
Gray put together a remarkable performance against Oakdale. The sophomore guard finished with 22 points, five rebounds and two assists. Despite Oakdale’s Collin Schlee scoring 22 points, Gray played him extremely tough and make it difficult for him to create separation when he was matched up against him. Gray recorded four steals because of his active hands both on the ball and playing in the passing lane.
Ben Carter | 6’0 | Lake Clifton ’18
After a quiet first quarter, Carter put together a very strong performance to finish with 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Late in the fourth quarter, Carter converted on four free throws to keep his team out of reach. He shot 7-of-8 from the charity stripe overall. His leadership and toughness were key for a Lakers team that has a good mix of young players that log big minutes.
Armon Harried | 6’3 | Lake Clifton ’19
Harried played a crucial role in the Lakers’ win with his production off the bench. Lake Clifton doesn’t go deep into their bench. In fact, Harried was the only player besides the starters to log minutes. The long 6-foot-3 junior finished with 12 points and four rebounds. He connected on two three’s and had a few nice takes to the basket off the dribble.
Collin Schlee | 6’4 | Oakdale ’19
Schlee came into today’s games with the reputation of being an explosive scorer. His 22 points can back that statement up. However he did struggle to find the mark with the efficiency that he has all season long. The dual sport athlete shot 8-for-20 from the field and 2-for-1o from three. With that being said, he was still the star for the Bears throughout. Schlee also recorded five rebounds, four steals, an assists and a block in the contest.
Joey Adams | 5’9 | North Caroline ’18
It doesn’t take long watching Adams to realize that he is a very skilled player. Coming into tonight’s game, Adams was shooting 50 percent from deep. It was more of the same tonight as the senior guard recorded 29 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field and 4-of-9 from three. Adams also pulled down five rebounds and dished out three assists.
Jaden Martin | 6’1 | River Hill ’18
From the opening tip, Martin was relentless when it came to attacking the rim. When he wasn’t taking it all the way to the cup, he was knocking down mid-range pull ups after one or two dribbles. Martin finished with a team-high 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. The place where Martin struggled was trying to do too much with the ball, as seen by his nine turnovers.
Jacob Krause | 5’7 | River Hill ’18
Krause may not be the tallest player on the court, but he plays with tremendous heart and effort. The 5-foot-7 guard pitched in with 14 points. Although he struggled to find his stroke from three (1-of-7), he found a way to finish around the rim and mid-range. Krouse also logged three steals, two rebounds and an assist.