Stayton 66, Molalla 56: Five Takeaways
After a tough, knock-down, win on Wednesday night, it was a quick turnaround for Stayton on Thursday. But despite struggling with their perimeter shooting all night, the Eagles dug deep, built an early lead, and went to senior Kaleb Anundi…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAfter a tough, knock-down, win on Wednesday night, it was a quick turnaround for Stayton on Thursday. But despite struggling with their perimeter shooting all night, the Eagles dug deep, built an early lead, and went to senior Kaleb Anundi down low down the stretch to pull out a 66-56 home win over Molalla on Thursday.
With a distinct size advantage, it seemed that Stayton would have an easy night against the visiting Indians. And when the Eagles ran off the first ten points in the second half, it appeared the rout was on. But Molalla kept on scrapping and fighting, and if it weren’t for Anundi dominating the paint with 36 points, the final result might have been a lot closer than it was. But a win is a win.
“We’re coming off a double-OT win last night and they were a little tired,” said Stayton head coach Joseph Kiser. “We don’t like to make excuses, but the kids are human and Molalla made us play.”
Team Scoring
Molalla 11 17 19 9 – 56
Stayton 18 17 18 13 – 66
Individual Scoring
Molalla: Silverio Lopez 18, Jakob Noe 9, Colin Carpenter 8, Tom Ellis 6, Jonathan Taylor 6, Jeff Larsen 4, Ben Daniels 3, Michael House 2, Brice Spearl.
Stayton: Kaleb Anundi 36, Micah Jenkins 9, Ben Rash 9, Jordan Butler 4, Riley Nichol 4, Logan Classen 2, Bryce Whieldon 2, Jacob Axmaker, Ben Kirby.
Anundi a Force to Reckon With
There was no stopping of Kaleb Anundi on Thursday night. True, the 6-foot-8 forward had at least five inches on anybody Molalla could stick on him. But as the game progressed, he found himself double and triple teamed and still got the job done offensively. Anundi scored on turnarounds and moves from posting up, created on drives from the elbow, and also knocked down a couple of mid-range jumpers, shooting a total of 15-for-25 from the field. He grabbed 13 boards and blocked a couple of shots, while staying out of foul trouble. And all this was coming off a 44-point, 18-rebound performance just the night before in a win over Gladstone. Anundi continues to hear from a number of college programs and we’ll have an update posted on him soon.
Eagle Guards Will Need to Step Up
As much of a force Anundi is inside, if Stayton wants to compete with the best in 4A, their guards will have to get better offensively. For the game, Stayton didn’t hit a single three – in fact, they were 0-for-14 from distance. As noted by Kiser, the guards were mainly concerned with getting the ball into the post so when they got it back they weren’t quite in rhythm to shoot it, but the Eagles are going to have to knock down shots against the more talented teams. Seniors Micah Jenkins and Jordan Butler and freshman Jacob Axmaker all look capable of hitting from long range when open.
Rash a Spark
While the guards seemed to struggle offensively and didn’t close out well on three-point attempts, the Eagles did make an impact defensively in creating Molalla turnovers. Especially making a mark on the defensive end was junior Ben Rash. The 5-foot-11 guard was all over the place, deflecting balls, getting into passing lanes, and being a complete pest of a defender. Rash didn’t start the game, but started getting active once he got into the game and there’s no doubt his effort led to him getting the starting nod after halftime. Rash drew a number of fouls on offense and ended up with nine points, five rebounds, and a couple of steals.
Nichol Solid as Always
It wasn’t a big offensive night for senior Riley Nichol, but the 6-foot-7 senior wasn’t dismayed by the lack of touches (he made the only shot he attempted). Nichol simply focused on making the right play and was tough on the boards, grabbing all six in the first half. He was saddled with foul trouble so he hardly played in the second, but he’s a team captain and the glue guy for the Eagles. Puget Sound was in attendance to watch Nichol on Thursday night.
Molalla a Scrappy Team
Despite their lack of size and in general their skill, Molalla stayed within striking distance of Stayton all game because they simply played hard. Senior Silverio Lopez in particular was all over the place on both ends, and he personally knocked down four threes. Senior guard Ben Daniels was also extremely active, pulling down a team-high seven boards, and senior forward Colin Carpenter chipped in as well. Molalla will be outmatched on most nights, but it’s clear they are not a team that will go down very easily.