10 Best: Carlisle (70) vs Knoxville (68)
Des Moines — It was a different kind of game; a Monday afternoon affair at Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines. And the Wildcats and Panthers did not disappoint. Both teams were red-hot for most of the game, and Knoxville…
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Continue ReadingDes Moines — It was a different kind of game; a Monday afternoon affair at Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines. And the Wildcats and Panthers did not disappoint.
Both teams were red-hot for most of the game, and Knoxville (15-6) netted eight first half 3s, proving that the sometimes tricky backdrop of the open arena was no issue at all.
It was Carlisle (13-7) forward Cole Henderson who left the arena as a hero; he put back a Wildcat miss to beat the final buzzer and break an 68-68 tie.
The possession prior to the Henderson buzzer-beater was just as exciting, when Knoxville senior Chase Larson probed the Carlisle defense and found an open Trent Davis in the corner for a game-tying 3 — a shot that nearly sent the game to overtime.
Collin Lister was outstanding for Carlisle. The sophomore set the tone early, scoring plenty and distributing often. He and Henderson each finished with a team-high 17 points.
Knoxville’s Larson was his usual self, a slick and skilled floor-general, he finished with a game-high 22 points.
Team Scoring
Carlisle 24 14 12 20 — 70
Knoxville 19 19 9 21 — 68
Individual Scoring
Carlisle: Collin Lister 17, Cole Henderson 17, Max Evans 14, Max Goodhue 12, Tommy Donovan 8, Jacob Howat 2.
Knoxville: Chase Larson 22, Patrick Crawford 14, Trent Davis 10, Ben Wallace 7, Cameron Liston 6, Blake McClung 5, Justin Little 4.
MVP: Collin Lister (Carlisle)
This was a close call between Lister and Cole Henderson, but Lister gets the nod due to his scoring and distributing combo. Not only did he score 17 points (11 in the first quarter), but he dished out a game-high seven assists. The 6-foot-2 sophomore showcased a versatile skill-set today, and made it clear that he is one of the state’s most talented 2019s.
Play of the Game: Cole Henderson (Carlisle)
This was a pretty simple decision to make. If Henderson doesn’t have the presence of mind to put back the missed Carlisle shot at the buzzer than this game goes to overtime, and there’s a 50 percent chance his team would have lost. So ya, his put-back off glass at the buzzer was definitely the biggest play of the evening.
Best Offensive Performance: Chase Larson (Knoxville)
His 22 points were rather impressive, and he was blistering hot early, netting a pair of first quarter 3s and scoring 12 in the first frame. He was getting it done in other ways too; e.g, finding open teammates, scoring at the rim, getting to the free-throw line. Here’s video of Larson probing the Carlisle D and finding Trent Davis for a game-tying 3 with nine seconds left in the game.
Larson finds Trent Davis for corner 3 with 9 secs left , were tied at 68 #iahsbkb pic.twitter.com/k2ZJoCWvLA
— TJ Rushing (@TjRushing) February 13, 2017
Best Shooter: Chase Larson
The silky Knoxville senior connected on three 3s, which was tied for a game-high with teammate Patrick Crawford, and he’s got such a smooth stroke. Larson is only 5-foot-7, but with his high basketball IQ and skill-set, we’ve got to think he could be a very useful Division III player.
Best Intangibles: Tommy Donovan (Carlisle)
He’s definitely talented, but he’s sneaky-good. One of those guys that when you look at the box score after the game, you think: did he really just do that? Donovan does a little bit of everything, and he does it well. The 6-foot-2 junior nabbed eight rebounds in today’s win, dished out three assists, and defended well, coming away with a steal and a block.
Best Underclassmen: Collin Lister
Another very easy decision to make here, I mean, he was the MVP of the game. And unfortunately for all of the Wildcats’ opponents over the next two seasons, the do-it-all guard is only a sophomore.
Good When it Counts: Trent Davis (Knoxville)
After a very quiet first half (like zero points quiet), Davis was very good in the fourth quarter, and instrumental to the Panthers’ having a chance to win the game. He finished with 10 points, nine of which came in the fourth quarter, and he did hit the clutch 3-ball that tied the game with nine seconds left.
Best Player off Bench: Cole Henderson
Can you believe this kid didn’t even start. He scored 17 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and hit the game-winning shot. He was super efficient too, 8-10 from the floor. What a weapon for the Wildcats this junior forward is.
Carlisle Wins Again
The Wildcats are getting hot at the right time; they always say you want to be playing your bast basketball of the year when the regular season is winding down. This evening’s W is the fifth straight for Carlisle, they had not won more than two in a row this season prior to the current streak. And there have been some very quality wins in there to; e.g Carroll, ADM, and now Knoxville.
Story to Watch: Lister’s Development
We knew coming into tonight that Lister was one of 2019’s best prospects — we have him ranked 48th right now. But after a strong showing at our Top 250 Expo in the fall, a very stellar sophomore season, and great effort in today’s game, he’s due for a bump in the forthcoming rankings. As he continues to develop this spring and summer with All Iowa Attack, he should see his recruitment start to take shape. It will be interesting to see who comes calling.