Kenton @ Ontario: Five Takeaways
Ontario took a second half comeback and ran away with it, defeating Kenton 61-50 at the O-Rena Saturday afternoon. The Warriors were down at the half, but held Kenton to just 14 points in the second half. A testimony to…
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Continue ReadingOntario took a second half comeback and ran away with it, defeating Kenton 61-50 at the O-Rena Saturday afternoon.
The Warriors were down at the half, but held Kenton to just 14 points in the second half. A testimony to legendary coach Joe Balogh with the second half adjustments.
Game Takeaways:
Kolten Kurtz was simply the player of the game
Kurtz is a smooth shooting off guard that plays hard all the time. With 24 points against Kenton, he was the best player on the court. When he wasn’t draining it from deep, the junior was diving for loose balls, playing tough defense and pushing the ball in transition when the opportunity was there. 15 of his points came in the first half, really keeping Ontario in it until they could throw the punch they wanted. Kurtz knocked down his free throws, a solid showing.
Jon Nagel could build off a strong performance
Saturday was my first viewing of the junior and really hadn’t heard of him coming into this one, but that never means much because you always want to see a player for yourself. Nagel scored in the teens, with all of it coming in the second half. The forward was a big reason Ontario was able to get out in front and he came out of nowhere. Kenton didn’t have the size to work with Nagel as he’s probably in the 6-foot-4 range or so. A soft touch around the rim, combined with a motor to get extra possessions was the name of the game for the Junior. The big man blocked shots, rebounded on the defensive end and brought high energy to the court, that wasn’t really matched. One of the better role player performances I’ve seen this season so far. This could be the game Nagel needed to really show what he can do from here on out.
Griffin Shaver didn’t score a bunch as he usually does, but affected game in other ways
The junior guard is one of the better prospects in the MOAC, maybe the best scoring guard in the conference. He always offers much more scoring and had that on display Saturday afternoon against Kenton. Shaver was held to nine points, getting those at the free throw line and hitting a deep step back, so to mention. But, in the second half he stood out with his passing and decision making to set up other teammates for good high quality looks. Balogh trusts Shaver and it shows out on the hardwood. Tough on ball defense was also a point of emphasis, the junior locks up the best player on the other team much of the time if it is a wing or guard. The 2021 prospect did a little bit of everything, even if he wasn’t affecting the game with scoring as he sometimes does.
Jake Eversole is a solid scorer for Kenton
Eversole is a multi sport athlete that excels on the gridiron and the hardwood as we seen on Saturday. Jake had 17 points to lead the way for Kenton, much of it coming in the first half. The junior was a big reason that the Wildcats were off to a nice lead at the half. Eversole stood out to me with his ability to fill lanes, get open in transition including the corner three that is money. Doesn’t need a ton of room to let it fly, as he showed that off. Quick on defense, Eversole plays with good energy and was solid against Ontario.
Kenton doesn’t do anything flashy, plays the game the right way
Kenton held a nice lead at halftime and it was mostly because they hit Ontario early with the same kind of play style that the home team Ontario uses. Kenton found open shooters and communicated on defense, really making things tough for Ontario at times in the first half. Jake Eversole and Jayden Cornell were standouts that got things rolling for the Wildcats. A team full of guards, multiple that can get their own bucket. Falling to 6-3 on the season, Kenton is pretty solid. They may not pass the eye test, but they show up, play tough and are quite fast. The Wildcats can push the ball at times or operate in the half court. Once Ontario threw second half adjustments, Kenton just couldn’t answer.