Emerald Shootout Day 2: Top Performers
South Eugene hosted two games of the Emerald Shootout on Friday, each of which garnered some impressive performances. Benson 69, Grants Pass 53 At one point in the second quarter, the Benson Techmen led by as many as thirty points…
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Continue ReadingSouth Eugene hosted two games of the Emerald Shootout on Friday, each of which garnered some impressive performances.
Benson 69, Grants Pass 53
At one point in the second quarter, the Benson Techmen led by as many as thirty points as they got incredibly hot from three and refused to step off the gas until the halftime whistle. Grants Pass responded with a run of its own in the second half as the play of Taylor Anderson and Randy Clark provided a spark. Despite the late surge, Benson continued to shoot the ball particularly well from three. Cobee Crawford led the way for the Techmen with 19 points, Robert Barber added five threes, and Benson came out with a fairly controlled victory despite 12 second half points from Clark.
South Eugene 64, Tualatin 56
The Axe opened up the second half with a purpose and led for almost its entirety as Josh Paul scored 18 points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists. Accompanying Paul was fellow swingman Cole McAninch, who added 17 for the Axe. Aidan Clark was one point away from a double-double with nine points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and three blocks. For Tualatin, who led the game at halftime, the clear leaders were Caden Dickson and Jack Rose, who posted 14 and 19 respectively. The Wolves opened the game with a solid, controlled pace of play that continued through the majority of the second quarter, where Dickson led the charge ahead. At the beginning of the third, South Eugene almost immediately seized the lead and held onto it for a solid eight-point victory.
Here are the top performers from Friday:
Cobee Crawford (2020 Benson) – The junior scoring guard from Benson Tech showed an array of dribble combo moves and crafty finishes to lead the way for the Techmen with 19. Additionally, Crawford used his ability to rise up and shoot the three off the dribble or in a spot-up situation to lead Benson’s initial charge, putting Grants Pass out of reach in the first half. The 6-foot guard was a very clear leader for the Techmen, who were quick to rally behind his vocalization.
Robert Barber (2019 Benson) – The 6-foot shooting guard shot the basketball incredibly well throughout the game for Benson, scoring 17 points on five three-pointers. It was Barber’s shooting to go along with Crawford’s crafty scoring that opened up the Techmen’s lead in the first half.
Taylor Anderson (2019 Grants Pass) – The senior point was a first-team all-Southwest Conference selection as a junior, and he showed in part why with a solid outing on Friday. Although he didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, Anderson still found a way to fill the stat sheet, posting 11 points, six rebounds, six assists, and four steals. The majority of that production came in the second half, where the 5-foot-10 guard helped trim away at Benson’s lead.
Randy Clark (2019 Grants Pass) – The 6-foot-1 senior scored twelve points in the second half mostly in the fast break on lead passes from Anderson. Clark was getting to the rim effectively and scored a team-high despite a poor shooting performance from long range. The senior has a solid frame and plays hard defensively for the Cavemen, who desperately need someone to step up as a second scoring option.
Josh Paul (2020 South Eugene) – Paul, standing at 6-foot-4, is a lengthy forward with the quickness and ball handling to get to the rim from almost anywhere on the court. Multiple attacks beginning on the perimeter resulted in easy finishes at the rim for the junior, who scored a team-high 18 points alongside seven rebounds and three assists. Paul used his size inside to collect a fair sum of boards, and despite playing at the three spot for the Axe, the junior showed his ability to bring the ball up in transition.
Cole McAninch (2019 South Eugene) – The Northwest Christian commit scored 17 despite never fully getting going offensively for the Axe, who collectively heated up towards the end of the third quarter. As he always does, McAninch accounted for a couple big momentum plays in the second half to keep the Wolves at arms reach, and the senior also contributed four rebounds and a pair of assists.
Jack Rose (2019 Tualatin) – Rose, despite being slightly undersized at 6-foot-4, showed great prowess as an offensive threat inside against the Axe. His game-high 19 points came from a variety of floaters and tough finishes inside, often times over the 6-foot-9 Aidan Clark. Additionally, the senior forward made his presence felt on the defensive end, adding five rebounds, a pair of steals, and a block, each of which added to the Wolves cause in the second half in particular.
Caden Dickson (2019 Tualatin) – Dickson, a crafty senior point guard for the Wolves, was the main cause of concern for the Axe in the first half, where he put up all 14 of his points. The 5-foot-10 senior hit multiple pull up jumpers in the half-court and in transition to go along with two three-pointers that helped carry Tualatin offensively in the first half. Dickson added two rebounds, two steals, and an assists for the Wolves.