Standouts: University School @ Calvary Christian Academy
In a highly anticipated match-up, the University Sharks powered past the Calvary Christian Academy Eagles 83-73 in Fort Lauderdale. The Sharks built a 39-31 half time lead on the back of some hot outside shooting, canning six 3-pointers in the first half to the Eagles one. U-School, which was coming off a 2-point defeat to Westminster Academy, extended its lead in the second half with a 22-14 third quarter to go up by 17 points heading into the final eight minutes. Fighting an uphill battle for most of the game, the Eagles continued to fight, posting a 29-point fourth quarter while dwindling the Sharks lead to single digits. In the end, it was the back-court weapons of the Sharks that moved U-School to 12-4 on the season. The Sharks currently stand 11th in MaxPreps Florida rankings. Calvary Christian continues a brutal stretch of January games and falls to 9-6. The Eagles will face Pine Crest (12-3) and Westminster Academy (12-4) in the coming days.
Let’s take a look at some standouts:
Roger McFarlane – University School: Let’s get this out of the way first, Roger McFarlane is in the conversation as the best player in south Florida. I have seen the 2020 six-foot-four guard about five times this season and he has been as dominant in stretches as any player I have witnessed. Case in point, McFarlane had 13 points by the end of the first quarter against the Eagles and knocked down four 3-pointers by halftime. Overall, the senior finished with a game-high 33 points and put down eleven free-throws over the final two quarters. McFarlane seemed to get more aggressive as the game wore on and never took his foot of the gas for 32 minutes. On one play, his rebound off his own missed shot got him to the line after a missed opportunity at the rim. The senior has taken his game to another level after the departures of Vernon Carey Jr. (Duke) and Scottie Barnes (Montverde) last season for the Sharks. While immensely proving his stock from his junior to senior seasons, McFarlane has become the lead dog for U-School looking to 3-peat as state champions. He looks to be on a mission for a big time college scholarship in what continues to be a masterful offensive season.
Jett Howard – University School: With his father in attendance, Howard added to the family highlight reel by finishing with 24 points and five assists. The 2022 guard possesses a strong dribble and finesse while accelerating to the rim. I thought the sophomore displayed good awareness in finding baskets for forward Taylor Hendricks who took a couple of Jett feeds for a ride for dunks. The 2020 forward finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds and is always a danger for “lob city” with his length around the rim. In addition, Howard joined McFarlane in the 3-point assault on Calvary, hitting three from long range. I thought the pair outplayed their Eagle opponents on this night and was the main reason for the win. Jett certainly plays with a Michigan like swagger but is relentless on both ends of the floor for the Sharks.
Dylan Canonville – Calvary Christian: Canonville came out strong for the Eagles, scoring six early points before finishing with a team-high 19 points on the night. I thought his strong play around the rim was foreshadowed early on in the first quarter when he took a lob pass from teammate Noah Tovar for a dunk. With the talent U-School has in the front court, I thought the 2021 forward really showed his muscle for Calvary Christian in the paint.
Gregg Glenn – Calvary Christian: While I don’t think it was his best game, the six-foot-six 2022 forward still finished with 18 points after getting off to a quite start. The sophomore did not pick up his first points until the 6:44 mark of the second quarter. In the second half, I thought Glenn began to hit his stride and played more aggressive with drives into the lane despite being hampered with foul trouble. Unfortunately, Glenn picked up his final foul on a questionable double-technical in the fourth quarter after scoring on Jett Howard with one of those buckets. From an outsiders view, Glenn took off from near the top of the key and put a nice spin move on Howard for a bucket before the two players began “joshing” with one another. All the play really looked like was two competitors going at one another in the heat of the game. I will hold firm that Glenn is the best player in the area but I thought his slow start was a microcosm of the Eagles play as a whole. Glenn has as high of a ceiling as anyone in the region.
Sterling Young – Calvary Christian: A transfer from New York, I thought the 2020 six-foot-two guard quietly played well before fouling out late in the third quarter. Young finished with nine points, including picking up a steal off Roger McFarlane for a bucket on the other end. Young is one of a handful of players that adds depth to Calvary Christian, along with 2021 guard Noah Tovar and 2020 shooting guard Matt Khoury. I think that nucleus is going to prove dividends over this stretch of tough games for the Eagles. Tovar led the big fourth quarter for the Eagles and finished with 13 points while Khoury came out firing from distance in the second half to chip in with nine.
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