Sprague 68, Aloha 51: Five Takeaways
As the holiday break wraps up and school is set to start again, teams around the state are getting in their last non-conference contests of the regular season. On Thursday night, both Aloha and Sprague got ready for league play…
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Continue ReadingAs the holiday break wraps up and school is set to start again, teams around the state are getting in their last non-conference contests of the regular season. On Thursday night, both Aloha and Sprague got ready for league play with a game that quickly got away from the Warriors as the Olympians ran off in the second half on the way to a 68-51 win.
Lomax Hard to Stop
In the summer for Hoop Salem, Mason Lomax largely had the ball in his hands. But with Sprague lacking size this season, the 6-foot-2 junior is playing more as a forward – and is getting more touches. Against Aloha, he was simply unstoppable around the basket, finishing with both hands and also with some perimeter shots. In fact, he hit his first six shots including a three before missing. On the night he also pulled down ten-plus rebounds to notch a double-double. Lomax’s college future is as a guard but he’s doing what’s needed to help the team this year.
Olympians Have a Tough Backcourt Duo
Both of the starting backcourt of juniors Kobe Withers and Greyson Salinas had good games for Sprague. Withers has a solid frame and while he can hit the open shot, seemed to prefer creating off the dribble for pull-ups or drives to the basket. Salinas was similar except he really focused on driving and was able to score over much bigger defenders in the paint. Both players handled the ball well and racked up a handful of assists a piece.
Sprague Has Young Big with Potential
He really didn’t rack up much in terms of raw statistics, but Dallon Morgan is definitely to keep an eye on. At 6-foot-7, the freshman stood out with his height but he also ran the floor well and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get taller – his older brothers Tanner and Harris Morgan previously played at Sprague and went on to play at the college level (Tanner at Casper JC/Northern Colorado and Harris at Casper JC). The fact he is already on the varsity roster is meaningful as it is.
Aloha Will Battle to the End
It was really a struggle to score for Aloha but head coach David Saultz’s squad kept on battling despite the score differential. Senior Zackariah Williams in particular gave full effort. At 6-foot-1 he’s undersized for a post player, but he has the girth, strength, and most importantly the motivation to fight hard for rebounds and for tough buckets inside. Junior wings Timothy Dennis and Regan Wilson also battled.
Warriors Trying to Find Offense
We’ve seen Aloha play twice this season – one win and one loss – and while they have been winning games with their defense it’s fairly clear that there isn’t really a go-to guy when they really need buckets. As the Warriors enter Metro League play, it will be important for someone to slide into that role. But one guy that shows some potential to make shots is junior Caleb Turner. The 5-foot-11 guard showed a fairly nice stroke from beyond the arc and while he may not have made many, he wasn’t shy about taking them.