Churchill 49, Thurston 45: Top Performers
In a defensive clash of 5A titans, the Churchill Lancers defeated the Thurston Colts 49-45 on Tuesday behind 16 points from Kaelan O’Neil. The 6-foot-5 junior scored on a driving layup with under a minute to play to put the…
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Continue ReadingIn a defensive clash of 5A titans, the Churchill Lancers defeated the Thurston Colts 49-45 on Tuesday behind 16 points from Kaelan O’Neil. The 6-foot-5 junior scored on a driving layup with under a minute to play to put the visiting Lancers ahead 47-45. On the following possession, O’Neil collected a steal and was eventually fouled, leading to the game-sealing free throws.
The Colts fought hard and kept Churchill’s numerous weapons in check for most of the game, but when it mattered most, O’Neil and company delivered. Mason Miller provided stout post play for the third-ranked Colts, who moved to 6-4 in conference play. Sophomore guard Trey Bryant scored 11 points, and DeJean Alonzo put up 10 and provided a fourth quarter spark for the defending state champs.
Churhill’s guard tandem of Silas Bennion and Isaiah Wallace scored nine apiece to help extend the Lancer’s win streak to seven games, proving themselves as one of the hottest teams in the state.
Here’s our top performers from Tuesday:
Kaelan O’Neil (2020 Churchill) – Stats: 16 points, 4 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk
No play was more important than O’Neil’s go-ahead runner in the fourth, which capped off a solid game from the 6-foot-5 junior. The scoring forward repeatedly used his length to attack to the rim and get shots off over potential shot blockers. Additionally, O’Neil showed some impressive body control, pulling off multiple contorting finishes at the rim throughout his game-high scoring effort.
Mason Miller (2019 Thurston) – Stats: 12 points, 3 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk
Thurston’s big had an efficient night shooting the ball, and his presence as a defender was arguably more important. Miller only blocked two shots, but contested many more around the basket to disrupt the Lancer’s finishing. The 6-foot-4 senior was incredibly sturdy and played with a high IQ all night on his way to a team-high 12 points.
DeJean Alonzo (2019 Thurston) – Stats: 10 points, 3 reb, 2 ast
Alonzo was one of three players to reach double digits in scoring on Tuesday, and five of his 10 points came up big in crunch time. The senior pulled off a circus three point play late in the fourth quarter after throwing an inbound pass off a defenders back. Then, after a Brian Goracke turnover, Alonzo converted on a one-and-one to tie the game at 45 with less than two minutes to go. Although his numbers weren’t eye-popping, the 6-foot-2 guard made a difference down the stretch.