Border Battle: Top Performers
Contributed by Albert Lee This past Saturday saw the season debut of high school basketball for several teams, as two marquee match-ups between Oregon and Washington teams were held at the Moda Center in the Border Battle presented by Pure…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingContributed by Albert Lee
This past Saturday saw the season debut of high school basketball for several teams, as two marquee match-ups between Oregon and Washington teams were held at the Moda Center in the Border Battle presented by Pure Focus Sports. Mount Si (Snoqualmie, WA) and Churchill (Eugene, OR) went to head to head, as the WIAA 4A Finalists took on this season’s OSAA 5A favorite. The blend of size, talent, and physicality of Mt. Si was too much for the Lancers initially, however, the guard tandem of Silas Bennion and Samaje Morgan was just too much to handle for them. Churchill and company ends up taking the game 55-47.
For the second blockbuster game, we had the Battle Ground Tigers against the Crater Comets in a battle of the bigs. Gonzaga commit Kaden Perry and Crater’s Nate Bittle bruised in the paint, for the most part going back and forth. The first half was a bar fight, with lots of defensive on both ends, exciting plays, and each team’s superstar going all out, with Crater leading 24-23. Kaden Perry’s physicality proved too much for the Comets at the end, as they took the game 58-49. Here is a recap of the day’s top performers.
Top Performers
Kaden Perry (2021 Battle Ground HS) – finished with a day high 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He had his hand everywhere for Battle Ground, whether it was defending the post, scoring over multiple defenders, or finishing at the rim with authority. He went at Nate Bittle, the region’s best player, without hesitation and showed quite a bit of emotion as well. Showed off his overall game as well as gave reason as to why Mark Few should be excited when he steps on Gonzaga’s campus.
Nate Bittle (2021 Crater HS) – showed the versatility and tool kit as to why much of the Pac-12 is extending offers to the nationally ranked 6’11” junior. When he wasn’t making three’s he was blocking shots and when he wasn’t doing that he was grabbing the rebound and throwing the ball ahead to start breaks. The swiss army knife finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 4 assists, another game where he simply impacted the game at all lengths and filled up the stat sheet.
Kruger Edwards (2020 Crater HS) – played Robin to Bittle’s Batman as he showed his ability to impact the game in a myriad of ways as well. Finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. Edwards took turns playing defense on Perry and although didn’t completely stop him, kept him honest and made him work on offense. Edwards had a number of impressive hustle plays, including a pin off the backboard on the break.
Brian Goracke (2020 Churchill HS) – the Point Loma Nazarene signee helped lead a valiant come back for the Lancers, leading the charge with 16 points. The senior showed a lot of offensive poise as well as flair in his game, as he scored in every way imaginable. He also utilized his big body to grab key rebounds and play defense on Mount Si’s big front, which showcases several players over 6’6”.
Silas Bennion (2020 Churchill HS) – the smooth, active guard gave Mount Si trouble all day, as he used his agility and quickness to pester defenders and grab a handful of steals. He was a vocal leader and the heart of the group at the end of the day, lifting his teammates up to moral victories throughout the game. Finished with 10 points but his biggest contributions were not seen in the statistics sheet.
Jabe Mullins (2020 Mt. Si HS) – the talented wingman showed frustration when he didn’t get calls his way and had a number of questionable fouls, however, this didn’t stop him from scoring 14 points. The St. Mary’s signee also showed maturity on the defensive end, getting a number of stops, blocks, and rebounds. He also showed his willingness to share the ball and set up the offense, as Mount Si is more willing and able on that end of the floor.
Tyler Patterson (2020 Mt. Si HS) – showed his shooting abilities all day, as he showed that the NBA-range three-point line wasn’t a factor for him. Finished with 15 points as he gave the Wildcats a scoring boost when they needed it. Also used his 6’6” frame to grab rebounds and help play defense inside for Mount Si.