Five Takeaways: Bethany vs. Newcastle
Bethany defeated Newcastle in overtime 69-68 in what was an emotional roller coaster of a matchup. Both teams showed great toughness and they fought back from adversity but Bethany came out on top. Michal Wooldridge is growing up before our…
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Continue ReadingBethany defeated Newcastle in overtime 69-68 in what was an emotional roller coaster of a matchup. Both teams showed great toughness and they fought back from adversity but Bethany came out on top.
Michal Wooldridge is growing up before our eyes
Wooldridge is a 6’8 freshman big man who is getting better day after day and he is maturing physically as well. I saw Wooldridge a couple years ago and he was still in the process of getting familiar with his immense size for such a young age. He was a little timid of contact in the paint as most young slinder big men are.
It was fun to see a more mature Wooldridge take the floor with confidence in his ability to dominate the game. Bethany was on a roll in the first half because they would throw it to the 6’8 rookie and play off of him in the post.
They were carving up the Newcastle defense because of Wooldridge’s level of passing is ahead of its years.
This kid has a bright future and tonight in a good performance overall, we only saw a taste of his potential.
Newcastle is tough as nails
The Racers faced almost every type of adversity at Bethany Tuesday night and they kept coming back for more. Numerous players in foul trouble, missed shots, inconsistent defense in the first half, and they still managed to get this game into overtime.
Guards like Kalub Hunt, Gage Pittman, and Teagun Jordan led their team and consistently made plays down the stretch to give Newcastle a chance to win it.
Just when you thought Bethany was pulling away, the Racers would create a big turnover and get to the rim. Deflections were a big thing to take away from this game for Newcastle. They got out in the passing lanes and it worked. They didn’t get the victory but they are on their way.
David Miller is a crafty lefty who is hard to stop
I dont know if I have ever seen a 5’10 point guard post up as many times as Miller did tonight but it worked. Miller has a strong athletic frame so he may not look like your regular guy you see on the block but Miller can bring the hammer down down low.
Crafty is a great way to describe his game because he understands timing and distance when trying to create his own shot. Miller let his emotions get the better of him early in the second half but he composed himself and began to just play rather than getting into physical confrontations.
Miller is an important part of what this Bethany does. He can play with or without the ball as the primary ball-handler which is always a bonus.
Kalub Hunt was the best athlete on the floor Tuesday night
It was interesting to watch see how Hunt read the game and understand when he needed to pick it up and be more aggressive.
He got off to a hot start scoring off a break away left hand dunk and he also hit a three to start. You could see him and his team start to settle down after those two big momentum changing plays.
He let his teammates handle things for the majority of the second but he kicked it into another gear in the 3rd and 4th quarter. His energy level seemed up. and he was on attack mode from then on which is what Newcastle needed to make another run. Hunt dominated the second half but I was more impressed with how he let his teammates make plays while he could rest.
Bethany has a chance to be special if they lean on the big fella
Michal Wooldridge is only going to continue to grow and get better which means Bethany has a foundational talent to grown around. Having a big man like Wooldridge will help the guards mature and understand playing off of a legitimate weapon on the block. The 6’8 big man is only a freshmen so his role will continue to expand as well as the others. The Bronchos seem to be headed in the right direction.