Crash the Boards Tournament final: Inspire Club top performers
Team Inspire won its second Arizona prep basketball tournament in as many weeks, finishing off an undefeated tournament with a dominant, 58-37 win over AZ Future in the Crash the Boards Tournament final.
Inspire defended its home court in Gilbert, AZ, shutting down AZ Future’s top scorers. In fact, Inspire allowed a total of just ten points in the first half, and the result was never really in question.
Here are four of the game’s top performers:
- Rashad Smith
Rashad Smith seemed to always be in position to receive down-court passes in transition, where Inspire was particularly effective as a team. When the starting guards sat, he also served as a bit of a point forward, bringing the ball up the floor to get to the basket or distribute the ball. His three-pointer was not needed as much as some games Inspire plays, as the offense got to the rim whenever it wanted to.
- Michael Anderson
Anderson was a terror on the defensive end, at one point stealing the ball from opposing guards on three consecutive possessions for lay ups by either himself or teammates. On offense he attacked the rim at will, usually dribbling straight forward and getting around defenders with ease. He also finished off the play of the game by dunking an alley-oop pass from Rashad Smith in the first half.
- Dre Quan
Quan came off the bench for Inspire, but was unstoppable, even by bigger players, on the boards at both ends in the minutes he played. While other players were tired from a long tournament, he consistently got his body in positino to fight for second-chance points and to draw shooting fouls and hit free throws.
- Mason Sorensen
While Inspire allowed very little penetration all game, Sorensen was there to play help defense at the rim when necessary, collecting blocks and steals near the hoop. On offense, he utilized the open space created by teammates to swing the ball and knock down open jump shots from the perimeter.