Five Takeaways: McDonogh vs Chapelgate
McDonogh opened their season at home this afternoon against an MIAA B Conference Chapelgate team. The Eagles came out with a commanding 75-29 victory.
Here are five takeaways from the contest
Dani Dennis-Sutton produces off the bench
Dennis-Sutton is one of the three exciting freshmen that the Eagles will showcase this season. The 6-foot-6 240-pound forward had a dominating presence against a Chapelgate that lacked any size whatsoever. Dennis-Sutton finished strong on his touches inside the paint as he recorded a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds in 14 minutes of action. He finished 3-of-4 from the charity stripe and did a nice job getting deep bench guys open looks when the game was out of reach. While he is still a very raw prospect, his motor and activity were pleasant to see.
Chapelgate struggles mightily
As you can tell by the score, there weren’t many positive takeaways from Chapelgate’s standpoint. They did most of their damage from beyond the arc swinging the ball and cashing in after McDonogh gambled in passing lanes. As stated before, they had absolutely no size and on top of that, they only had eight players suit up.
Curtis Jacobs could have a breakout season
Jacobs is one of, if not the most athletic player in the area. Jacobs stars on the football field at the wide receiver position, so at 6-foot-4 with a strong frame, his athleticism is very impressive. He and Dennis-Sutton led the way with 13 points a piece. Jacobs had a chance to display just how athletic he is in the second half on a breakaway opportunity in which he finished a windmill dunk. He also converted seven of his eight free-throw attempts and pulled down six rebounds the contest.
Eagles share the wealth
Dennis-Sutton and Jacobs were the only two players in double-figures for McDonogh. 11 of the 12 players scored. As a team, the Eagles assisted on 16 of their 26 field goals. Senior guard Drew Green finished with nine points, freshman Preston Howard finished with eight points on a perfect four-for-four shooting and sophomore guard Dave Brown finished with six points.
What’s to come
McDonogh will look to keep their winning ways in the next two games against Friends School and Mt. Carmel, which are both match ups they shouldn’t have any issue with. Then they take on Gerstell, John Carroll and Archbishop Spalding before their schedule really picks up with some tough opponents. It’s good to get this young group some confidence early on. At the same time, head coach TJ Jordan and his staff will have to keep them grounded for when they face the challenging competition and battle through adversity.