Quick hits from the ECS Eagles’ win over Center Hill
ECS opened its 2020 season with the 68-56 win over Center Hill (4-1) Tuesday night. Here are the quick hits from the game. With not much depth, Center Hill was competitive against the Eagles. The Mustangs were without their starting…
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Continue ReadingECS opened its 2020 season with the 68-56 win over Center Hill (4-1) Tuesday night.
Here are the quick hits from the game.
With not much depth, Center Hill was competitive against the Eagles.
The Mustangs were without their starting point guard Jabarri Stigall, starting center Calvin Dockery, who was averaging 12 rebounds per game in the team’s first four games and sophomore forward Denver Kiner. Center Hill was also without junior point guard Jhamal Ross and guard Daeshun Dunn, who are waiting to be cleared by the MHSAA.
Yet, the Mustangs were very competitive on the road against ECS. Center Hill built a 21-11 lead in the first quarter before the Eagles started to make shots from the field and free throw line. Foul trouble put a strangle hold on the Mustangs’ aggressive way of playing defense. As a result, ECS had a strong third quarter, making five 3s to build a 57-46 lead.
On the brighter side of things, senior wing Kaeden Laws did a good job of being the team’s floor general. He made big, timely shots for Center Hill, along with senior forward Zandon Haralson.
Laws led the team with 24 points and Haralson added 15.
With the way Laws played at point guard, head coach Newton Mealer wouldn’t mind putting Laws in that spot if the Mustangs are ever in need of a confident ball handler.
“He’s got to have the ball in his hands. He’s going to have to run that side,” Mealer said. “Not so much we need him to score, we need a veteran person with leadership that can get the other four guys going on offense.”
Mealer was impressed with senior point guard Kameron Jones.
Mealer heard how great of a player Jones is, watched old film on him then found out more about the 6-foot-4 point guard on Tuesday night.
“He played hard for the entire four quarters. I like his game,” Mealer said about Jones, who finished with 21 points. “He’s unselfish; he looks for his teammates. He trusts his teammates, but when he needs to make big plays, he makes big plays.
ECS may have a productive backcourt in Jones and Mason Shropshire.
Jones wasn’t the only bright spot for his team’s offense. Junior point guard Mason Shropshire, who went from 5-9 to 6-1 during the summer, ran the offense, which allowed Jones to play off the ball at times. On a handful of possessions, Jones and Shropshire made bad reads and took forceful shots, which will need to be cleaned up as the season moves along.
Shropshire finished the game with 12 points and made two 3s during a pivotal third quarter that helped his team build a double-digit lead.
“I don’t think he played his best game tonight,” Eagles head coach Willie Jenkins said. “Even though he did a pretty good job, I think it’s more there. His mental has to grow.”
As a team, ECS had five players to score in double figures. Thomas Kizer had 12. Sylvester Ford and Dominic Brown each finished with 10. Since the Eagles don’t have a Hadden Burgess type of player in the post, balanced scoring will have to be the norm for ECS in 2020.