10 Best: Cape Henry vs. Steward
In a highly anticipated matchup between two of the best teams in the TCIS, Cape Henry from Virginia Beach traveled to Richmond for a conference matchup with Steward School. Two teams that are highly ranked in their areas turned out…
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Continue ReadingIn a highly anticipated matchup between two of the best teams in the TCIS, Cape Henry from Virginia Beach traveled to Richmond for a conference matchup with Steward School. Two teams that are highly ranked in their areas turned out a game that many should be very upset they missed.
The first quarter saw a pace that I wasn’t expecting, as both teams got it going early and were making shots left and right. The entire Cape team scored in the first quarter, as they held a 22-16 lead after one. The offense stalled a little bit in the second with both teams making adjustments and figuring each other out, but the Dolphins of Cape Henry still headed into halftime up 3, 32-29.
The third quarter is where things started to get interesting. Cape came out of the gates on fire, as sophomore forward Greg Melvin started hitting the glass hard on the offensive end and making plays, and they took a double digit lead midway through the quarter. However, the Spartans battled back at home, going on a run by a few big three-pointers and junior big man Efton Reid capped the quarter by stealing the inbound with less than a second left and finishing a three-point play, giving Steward their first lead since the first few minutes as they headed into the fourth up 49-47.
The fourth quarter was as back and forth as you can get, with the teams trading leads multiple times. Cape junior guard Christian Moore hit three huge three-pointers in a two minute span, with the last one coming with 2:33 remaining in the game. Oddly enough, after that back-and-forth all quarter, neither team scored again. Steward had a couple of chances to win it toward the end of the game, but Cape came up with some big stops down the stretch and were able to gut out a big conference win on the road 60-59.
Here’s a look at the game in our Prep Hoops 10 Best style!
MVP: Greg Melvin | Cape Henry ’22
Melvin caused all sorts of problems for Steward as the second big against a team that only has one true big, and his bully style of play was big for them down the stretch. Built like a tight end, Melvin at 6’6” played much bigger in the paint as he attacked the smaller Steward guys as they had 7’0” Efton Reid on 6’9” Bryson Spell, and he had his way in the paint on both ends. He used his athleticism to run the floor and rebound on both ends, and showed his versatility as a guy who could step out and play on the perimeter as well. He finished with a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, scoring 11 of those points in the second half.
Play of the Game
There were quite a few plays that were memorable from this one, but none bigger than Cape junior guard Christian Moore getting a big defensive stop with the game on the line. With just under three second left and Cape leading by one, Steward had an out of bounds play under their basket. They found freshman Curtis Blair for a midrange shot to win it, but Moore came help side and blocked the shot from behind to secure the victory!
Best Offensive Performer: Efton Reid | Steward ’21
The nationally ranked 7 footer did what he does best, which is dominate the paint even with Cape double teaming him throughout the game. He demanded the ball well in the post, stepped out and made some good passes and made a big three-pointer late, he finished above the rim in traffic and showed good touch with both hands. He finished with a game high 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting and had a double-double with 10 rebounds.
Best Defensive Performer: Efton Reid | Steward ’21
Not only did Reid hold it down in the paint on the offensive end, he did so on the defensive end as well. While he was guarding a stretch big and couldn’t help all the time, he did a great job when he could help with contesting shots without fouling and had three blocks on the game, which should have been four without a bad call. He also had a big steal on an inbound and finished a three-point play before the third quarter ended. His defensive feel and ability to protect the rim is one of his most underrated attributes.
Best Guy off the Bench: Zach Rosenthal | Steward ’21
Neither team really went that deep, but the junior guard came off the bench and had an impact with his shooting ability and high motor on both ends. The 6’0” shooting guard hit two three-pointers and had the defense shading toward him throughout the game, he made the right play when he had the ball in his hands and rebounded well despite his size. He finished with 6 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in the loss.
Best Intangibles: Christian Moore | Cape Henry ’21
It was my third time watching Cape in as many weeks, and while it wasn’t Moore’s best night from the field he came up big down the stretch and stayed confident throughout the game. He did a good job even when he wasn’t shooting it well at handling pressure and making plays, and he showed his defensive feel as well. Not only did he come up with the block to seal the game, but he also hit three big time three-pointers in the fourth quarter when they needed it. He finished with 14 points on the game.
Best Under-the-Radar Performer: Isaiah Simmons | Steward ’21
Simmons is known as an under sized scoring guard, and while he didn’t shoot it particularly well, but he did a great job running the show and setting others up throughout the game. He came out hot with six points in the first quarter, and while he couldn’t really get it going after that he made great reads and entered the post to Reid well on multiple occasions. He finished with 10 points, 7 assists and four rebounds while only turning the ball over once on the game.
Best Underclassman: George Cutler | Cape Henry ’22
Cutler had his best game that I’ve seen in the past few weeks, as the point guard showed the ability to create for both himself and others off the bounce and also hit the three-ball when left open. He’s a super shifty guard with a good handle that changes speeds and directions well, and he showed a great middle game with a number of floaters and pull-ups. He finished with 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field and 2-for-3 from deep, and had 4 assists to just one turnover.
Best Matchup Problem: Bryson Spell | Cape Henry ’21
Spell caused all sorts of problems for Steward despite the fact that he only made one shot in the second half, because his presence on the floor force Reid to come out and opened the lanes for other guys. The 6’9” forward stretched the floor well and made some tough shots both from deep and from the midrange, and he’s a guy that you have to know where he’s at at all times on the floor. He finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds in the win.
Best Story to Watch Moving Forward: TCIS Championship Rematch?
This matchup was as entertaining as any game I’ve seen all season, and it may not be the last time we see them play. Depending on the seeding in the TCIS Tournament, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see these two teams meet in the semifinals or the championship before the state tournaments start.