Five Takeaways: Davenport Assumption at Dubuque Wahlert
Sean Peeters had 36 points in Assumption’s win DUBUQUE — In a battle between a pair of parochial powers in Class 3A, it was Davenport Assumption who put on a show, en route to a 73-57 road win over Dubuque…
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Continue ReadingDUBUQUE — In a battle between a pair of parochial powers in Class 3A, it was Davenport Assumption who put on a show, en route to a 73-57 road win over Dubuque Wahlert on Friday night.
The Knights grabbed control of the contest midway through the first quarter, taking a 19-12 lead after the first eight minutes, and carrying an 11-point lead into the half. Wahlert made a late run to trim the lead to as little as eight in the fourth quarter, but they never got any closer, as Assumption went nearly wire-to-wire in the win.
Assumption (2-0) was led by senior forward Sean Peeters, who had 36 points and 13 rebounds in the win. Dayne Hodge added 15 and Grayson Heiser had 10.
Wahlert (1-1) was led by Jake Schockemoehl, who had 21 points. Isaac Ripley added 10 in the loss.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Assumption | 19 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 73 |
Wahlert | 12 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 57 |
Assumption: Sean Peeters 36, Dayne Hodge 15, Grayson Heiser 10, Bill Flaherty 8, Logan Ehrecke 3, Tyler Maro 1
Wahlert: Jake Schockemoehl 21, Isaac Ripley 10, Cael Schmitt 6, Will Hoffman 6, Danny Steele 6, Nicholas Bandy 4, Terrell Fowler 4
Sean Peeters is healthy and dominant
Peeters played through an injury for most of last season and was still highly productive. He’s healthy now, and he’s dominant. He went off for 36 points in the win, including 15 in the third quarter alone, to go with 13 rebounds and 2 assists. He’s an explosive athlete with great footwork around the rim and excellent touch. He showed the ability to stretch the floor, knocking down a 3, and a nice stroke from the line, going 13-15 from the charity stripe in the win, so you can’t just rely on fouling him to prevent him from scoring. With his health back to 100%, the talented senior lefty is going to put up some huge numbers this season. He’s averaging 30.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in their first two games.
Dayne Hodge, impact transfer
Assumption junior guard Dayne Hodge transferred from Alleman (Rock Island, IL) and stepped right into the starting lineup for the Knights. He finished this game with 15 points (although 10 of those points came on free throws in the fourth quarter), 6 rebounds and 3 assists. He’s a capable shooter from the arc, but his most important contribution will be taking some of the lead ball handling responsibilities away from Grayson Heiser. Heiser looked much more assertive on the offensive end this season, and some of that can be attributed to playing off the ball more. Hodge is a big, physical guard who really gets after it on the glass and keeps the ball moving on the offensive end. Capable of defending multiple positions, knocking down shots and distributing, he’s a welcome addition to the Knights.
Assumption is well-built, balanced
The headliner is definitely Sean Peeters, but this Assumption team is really well built and balanced this season. Peeters has the ability to score inside and out, while controlling the game with his work on the glass. Hodge and Heiser are quality guards who handle and pass it well, while JJ Stratman and Logan Ehrecke can provide a bit of shooting as well. They’ve gotten quality production out of 6-3 forward Bill Flaherty, who has great length and can defend multiple positions, rebound and protect the rim. And Tyler Maro gives them a really big, strong body in the paint. This team has a little bit of everything, and should be strong all season.
Wahlert’s lack of size could hurt
Wahlert has one of the state’s best guard trios in Jake Schockemoehl, Cael Schmitt and Isaac Ripley. What they lack, however, is true size. Schockemoehl is the second tallest player on the roster, listed at 6-4, and neither of the 6-5 players (Lucas Topping, Luke Heying) played. As a result, Peeters had a field day, scoring at will around the rim and pulling down 7 offensive rebounds. The Golden Eagle guards are going to be good enough to win them a lot of games, but if they run into a quality big man in postseason play, they’ll struggle again.
Each team’s outlook
Assumption has the look of a real 3A title contender. As we mentioned, they’re really well built and they have a star player in Peeters who can dominate games on either end of the floor. After coming up just short of a State trip last year, we expect to see the Knights in Des Moines this season.
Wahlert is a more interesting case, because they may end up being one of the most up-and-down teams in 3A this year. They’re going to have some games where they look like they can beat anyone because the guards are making shots and controlling the game. But they’ll also have nights where the shots aren’t falling and they could struggle to defend and control the glass. That lack of size could end up being a real detriment down the line. Still, there is a lot of talent in this program, and they should have a successful season in the MVC, and be a state tournament contender come February.