The Game: Stilwell vs Verdigris
Verdigris started the game strong on both ends of the court they were shooting the ball well and held the Indians to only 7 points throughout the first quarter. Verdigris led after one quarter of play 19-7. Stilwell found the…
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Continue ReadingVerdigris started the game strong on both ends of the court they were shooting the ball well and held the Indians to only 7 points throughout the first quarter. Verdigris led after one quarter of play 19-7. Stilwell found the offense a little more in the second quarter as they started getting points inside the paint. However Verdigris’s offense kept rolling as well as they took a 35-23 lead into the halftime break. Stilwell went on a big time run in the third quarter and cut the lead all the way down to 5 points right before a huge technical foul call on Stilwell for something a player said after that shot. It let Verdigris calm back down and find their rhythm again as they opened back up an eight point lead before the break. Stilwell was never able to recover from that technical foul in the fourth quarter as they went on some small runs but none that challenged the Verdigris lead. Verdigris won the game 58-47.
Takeaways
Points in the Paint Stilwell
Stilwell was thriving when they found their big guys in the paint. Verdigris was having trouble with the size of Stilwell’s big man and stopping them from dominating on the boards. When Stilwell went away from their big man that’s when Verdigris would go on their big runs. Stilwell has the talent on the wing to knock down three’s consistently but they struggled with shooting from the perimeter on the night.
Verdigris’ Defense
The Cardinal’s were all over the floor tonight on defense. They were playing good disciplined basketball on the defensive end of the ball and making Stilwell shoot the ball from the perimeter. The gameplay looked to be to keep the ball out of the middle and when they could do that Stilwell struggled to score. Verdigris play fast on the defensive end and were able to have good footwork and movement to slow down the fast paced Stilwell offense.
The Technical Foul
The game changed in the third quarter on one play. Stilwell was rolling in the third quarter as they were cutting the huge lead that Verdigris had. Stilwell had all of the momentum with about a minute left in the quarter and then they hit a three pointer to cut the lead to five points and Cayden Lee got called for a technical foul after knocking down the shot. At that moment all of the momentum was lost. The air left the crowd for Stilwell and they never recovered from that moment.
Players to Know
Jaren Keith 2021 Verdigris Guard
Keith is fast guard that is hard to stop when he gets a full head of steam. He has the ability to drive to the basket and finish through contact. He also has the ability to knock down the shot if he is left too much space. Keith is a dangerous player because he can fly under the radar for stretches of games and then he finds his rhythm and does not miss. Keith finished with 17 points on the night.
Jorge Bautista 2020 Sillwell Post
Bautista has been dominant in the post throughout the tournament. He has good size that couples with his athleticism to make him hard to stop down low. The only thing stopping Bautista is himself. He sometimes gets out of control and that is when he starts missing. When he is in control and playing his game Bautista is a beast down low. He has been dominant on the boards on both sides of the ball. He creates second chance opportunities for himself and his team because of his ability to grab boards. He finished with 16 points on the night.
Tyler Haddock 2020 Verdigris Guard
Haddock was all over the court for Verdigris. He played well as all three levels as he attacked the basket with success. He was aggressive on the offensive end and forced Stilwell to either foul him or let him score. For much of the second half Haddock was at the free throw line because of his aggressive nature. Haddock finished with a game high of 23 points on the night.