10 Best: Douglas Freeman vs. LC Bird
In the second Class 5 Region B semifinals at Hermitage on Tuesday, #6 seed Douglas Freeman faced #2 seed LC Bird for a chance to clinch a birth in the Class 5 State Tournament. Bird was looking for their third…
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Continue ReadingIn the second Class 5 Region B semifinals at Hermitage on Tuesday, #6 seed Douglas Freeman faced #2 seed LC Bird for a chance to clinch a birth in the Class 5 State Tournament. Bird was looking for their third trip in four years, while Freeman was looking for another upset after beating #3 Henrico last Friday.
The game got off to somewhat of a slow start, with both teams feeling each other out early. Freeman was up 11-10 after the first quarter, following a Niquan Moore put back to beat the buzzer. In the second quarter the Skyhawks started to speed it up and move the ball on the offensive end, and their press bothered the Freeman ball handlers as well. At halftime, LC Bird led 27-21.
The Skyhawks kept that momentum going, with a 9-0 run midway through the quarter that you may have missed if you had to blink. They led by as many as 15, and headed into the fourth quarter up 40-28. Freeman continued to battle but the Skyhawks executed down the stretch and were able to come away victorious 56-41. They clinch another trip to the state tournament and will meet Varina for the third time this season (they split the first two) on Friday at Hermitage for the region championship.
Here’s a breakdown of the game in our special Top 10 format.
*Editors Note: All stats are unofficial and kept by myself throughout the game.
MVP: Jamon Battle | LC Bird 2019
Battle didn’t dominate the game to where many people were walking away talking about him, but he quietly did a great job leading the Skyhawks bunch on both ends. One of the best available prospects in Virginia, the 6’5” wing was hard to stop when he got downhill and he made a number of plays on both ends, finishing with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and a block. More on Battle below.
Best Play
Battle also gets the nod for best play of the game with a block that looked like the one Zion Williamson had (yeah, I said it). On a skip pass to the corner, Battle closed out from underneath the basket, took off and swatted the ball into the stands with an impressive recovery and block.
Best Offensive Performer: Jamon Battle | LC Bird 2019
Bird is one of the more balanced teams in the state, but when they’re at their best Battle is their top guy. He doesn’t need a lot of shots to put up numbers, as his size and athleticism make him a wrecking ball in the paint where you have to foul to keep from scoring. Throw in the fact that he’s a pretty good shooter from deep and that’s why he’s so hard to stop. His 17 points came on only 9 shots from the field.
Best Defensive Performer: Mack Burgett | LC Bird 2019
Burgett didn’t have his best game on the offensive end, but he showed why he’s one of the better glue guys in the area. The recent commit to Anderson (D2-SC) had his hands all over the win by hitting the glass and using his length defensively to get deflections, steals and protect the rim. He finished with 7 points, 7 rebounds and three steals in the win.
Best Guy off the Bench: Niquan Moore | Douglas Freeman
Freeman went eight deep before the benches were emptied while Bird only went six deep, so there wasn’t much bench production on either end. Moore was the one who made an impact in some way on the glass and with a timely bucket to beat the first quarter buzzer. He played with good energy and made a positive impact when he was on the floor.
Best Intangibles: Tyler Henderson | LC Bird 2020
The 5’8” point guard did exactly what he does best, as far as controlling the tempo, getting Bird into their sets and making plays for others. He shot the basketball well in his opportunities, going 3-for-5 from behind the arc for 9 points, but he was also great as a distributor and creator. He was able to turn the corner and get in the lane, he kept his head up in transition and found his shooters in good situations. He also hounded ball handlers, and finished with 9 points, 7 assists and two steals.
Best Under-the-Radar Performer: Michael Fortune | Douglas Freeman 2019
I have become quite the fan of Fortune over the past two years and told other reporters I thought that he was the best player in Richmond no one talked about. The 6’4” guard did a little of everything, making some shots early, rebounding the ball on both ends and taking over ball handling duties at times against a stringent Bird defense. He finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and three assists, and if you’re a small level school you should definitely consider looking at Fortune for next year.
Best Underclassman: Caleb Kenney | Douglas Freeman 2021
Kenney has a bright future at Freeman as a hybrid forward who even showed he can handle the basketball against pressure in this one. At 6’4” he has a long and strong frame that allows him to play inside, but he also moves his feet well and has good mobility for his size. He had a few nice takes and finishes, he hit the glass hard and he protected the rim as well. He finished with 12 points, 8 rebounds and two blocks.
Best Stat Sheet Stuffer: Lance Monteiro | LC Bird 2019
It was probably Monteiro’s best overall game that I have seen him have since transferring to Bird this year. The 6’5” guard showed that he can play on and off the ball, inside and out and he can make shots and plays for others. He had some nice drive-and-kick and dumpoffs, he was 50% from the field and 75% from the line and he rebounded on both ends as well. He finished with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.
Best Storyline Moving Forward: Varina Rematch
What more can you ask for? The two best teams in the conference and the two defending state champions (Bird ’17, Varina ’18) will meet for the third time this year. The teams have played each other twice this year, with Varina winning the first matchup at home and Bird winning at home, snapping the longest winning streak in the state at the time. The game should be packed on Friday at Hermitage. The funniest part? Regardless of the outcome these two teams have both clinched a spot in the state tournament, and if they both win their first round matchups they will play each other in the semifinals for the fourth time!