Five Takeaways: DeMatha vs St. John’s
Last night I went to St. John’s as they played host to DeMatha in a big time WCAC showdown. St. John’s got off to a hot start and took a 4 point lead into halftime and ultimately looked like they…
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Continue ReadingLast night I went to St. John’s as they played host to DeMatha in a big time WCAC showdown. St. John’s got off to a hot start and took a 4 point lead into halftime and ultimately looked like they were going to come away with a win. However, it was Earl Timberlake who saved the day for the Stags helping DeMatha win by a final score of 68-62. Below are five takeaways from the game.
Earl Timberlake Saves The Day For DeMatha
After being held to only three points in the first half, the Miami commit turned it on when it mattered to lead DeMatha to a victory on Thursday night. Timberlake took over the game in the 4th quarter by bullying his way to the rim where he either connected on a layup or went to the free throw line. Defensively, he picked it up too and and got two big blocks off the backboard to stop transition points for the Cadets late in the 4th quarter. He finished with 24 points on the night and 12 of those points came from the charity stripe.
Ishmael Leggett Doing What He Does Best
The other guy that couldn’t be stopped while attacking the rim in this game was Rhode Island commit Ishmael Leggett. The senior continues to play like a 1st team WCAC selection and is the heart and soul of this St. John’s team. Whenever the Cadets needed a big bucket he was there for them whether it was from driving to the rim or shooting a jumper from different areas on the court. In the loss he finished with 22 points.
Jordan Hawkins Steps Up
At different times during the year, there will need to be a third guy to step up for DeMatha after Hunter Dickinson and Earl TImberlake. Last night it was Jordan Hawkins who finished with 13 points. However, it was his defensive that really stood out Thursday. He has always been known as a good shot maker but Hawkins was a force on defense while ending up with 3 blocks. Two of those came from when he was playing off the ball and came to help. Hawkins was playing with great energy last night and played a crucial role for the Stags victory.
Best I Have Seen Of John “Manzie” Wilson
This was the best game I have seen Wilson play maybe ever for the Cadets. Wilson has picked up a big leadership role for the Cadets this year and it is showing. He was automatic from inside the free throw line last night and hit some crucial floaters during the first half to help SJC sustain a halftime lead. He also showed the confidence to spot up and hit a three pointer when it mattered. Wilson is definitely proving himself to be one of the best unsigned seniors in the area at the moment.
WCAC Is Wide Open
DeMatha was considered to be one of the top teams on paper to win the WCAC tournament this year and they still are. Not a ton of people were thinking that St. John’s could win it but they showed last night that they are a legit contender. I wrote about it earlier in the week but this league is as wide open as I can remember as there are a handful of teams that could be cutting down the nets in February.