Westview 62, Southridge 53: Top Performers
With Jesuit and Sunset alone at the top of the heap, it’s going to be an all-out battle for third place in the Metro League. Southridge and Westview are in the mix for that spot and after tangling it out…
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Continue ReadingWith Jesuit and Sunset alone at the top of the heap, it’s going to be an all-out battle for third place in the Metro League. Southridge and Westview are in the mix for that spot and after tangling it out on Tuesday, it was the Wildcats that surged ahead in the standings by knocking off the Skyhawks, 62-
It appeared that it might be an easy night for Westview, as they surged out to a 14-5 lead after the first quarter. And in the third period, the Wildcats led by as many as nine points. But Southridge had a run in them and at the beginning of the fourth quarter, a couple of buckets by Brock Henry gave the Skyhawks a 41-40 advantage. But from there, senior guard Kobe Newton came right back and knocked down a three, leading to a 15-2 Westview run that put the game away for good.
On the game, Westview shot 25-for-46 from the field, including a sizzling 15-for-19 in the second half. Newton led the way with 20 points while senior swingman Juwon Esuk chipped in with 15. Henry led Southridge with 18 points while junior forward Connor McClean added 11.
“We try not to get distracted by the standings, but I’d be silly to think that it wasn’t a goal that was at least out there,” said Westview head coach Michael Wolf. “That was the best performance that we’ve had as a team from wire to wire at both ends of the floor, so I’m excited. They’re showing the poise and maturity and understanding of how we need to play to be successful.”
Here are the top performers from Tuesday:
Brock Henry (2019 Southridge) – With the Westview defense focused on taking away his three-point shot, Henry honed in on his emerging mid-range game and executed it fairly well given the limited opportunities he had. The senior did end up hitting one three but was only able to get off 15 total shots (hitting seven) in scoring 18 points. Henry has picked up a scholarship offer from NAIA Lewis-Clark State and hopes to visit them soon and continues to hear from some other D2/D3/NAIA programs.
Kobe Newton (2019 Westview) – Newton is the team’s top offensive player by far as he’s the main guy on the team that can create his own shot or that for others. The senior was solid all game long, taking advantage of what the defense gave him and in addition to shooting it well – 7-for-12 overall and 3-for-5 from three – he also got his teammates involved, racking up four dimes. Newton also kept his emotions in check, especially after a hard intentional foul late in the game. Newton will start his college career in JC, likely in the NWAC.
Juwon Esuk (2019 Westview) – An 6-foot-3 swingman, Esuk largely plays more down low for Westview given their relative lack of size. But he used his length and athleticism well on both ends, finishing plays around the rim and registering some impressive blocked shots while coming over from the weak side on help defense. On the night, Esuk finished with 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting, making his last six shots in a row. We caught up with Esuk after the game and hope to post an update soon.
Connor McClean (2020 Southridge) – McClean has always looked the part as he is 6-foot-5 and has some pretty good athleticism. But while he has seemed tentative in previous games we have seen him, he was more aggressive against Westview. He converted a couple of baskets around the hoop and also stepped out and hit three threes. McClean ended up with 11 points, hitting 3-for-5 from three-point range.
Jalen Grable (2021 Westview) – Grable has slowly developed as the season has gone along and Wolf has been playing the sophomore more and more. At 6-foot-3 he’s got good length and athleticism, and he was very active on both ends of the floor, battling for rebounds (finishing with six boards) and getting some baskets near the rim. Grable finished with nine points on 4-for-7 shooting and had his coach talking about his potential and growth as a contributor.
Jha-Barrie Portis (2021 Southridge) – Portis is a high energy player and while his numbers weren’t as high as they have been in previous outings, he still gave Southridge a boost off the bench. He was off with his shooting, missing all four of his threes, but he created off the dribble and hit a couple of shots in the paint while giving maximum effort on the defensive end.
Wayne Jamison (2020 Westview) – Jamison has been a steady player for the Wildcats all season and served that role on Tuesday night as well. He’s well built at 6-foot-1 and has the athleticism to help out on the boards and defensively. Jamison picked and chose his spots to contribute on offense and ended up with seven points.