Brother Rice @ Detroit Country Day: Game Recap
This contest consisted of a matchup between two of the best sophomore guards in the state. Detroit Country Day’s Wendell Green JR. against Brother Rice’s Jon Brantley. Green is one of 7 underclassman on this young but incredibly talented Country Day squad. Brantley, who did not play AAU last year, has a very high skill set. He started to make more of a name for himself after his strong performance at the Bank Hoops All State camp. Since then, Brantley has continued to flourish on the court.
In the first 10 seconds of the ball game, Country Day was playing strong pressure defense, resulting in a bucket for their freshman stud, Julian Roper. Careless basketball from Brother Rice and strong play by Roper gave Country Day an early 10-2 lead midway through the first quarter. Green was also a big part of this lead as he continued to show how he is one of the toughest perimeter defen
ders in the state. A 15-6 lead was quickly answered by Brantley as he hit two straight threes and totaled eights points in the first quarter. At the end of the first, Country Day held a 15-14 run.
With Brantley on the bench to start off the second quarter and Country Day continuing their strong pressure defense, Country Day went on a quick 9-0 run propelled by Roper and the strong post play of Demetriess Champion. Country Day’s transition play could not be stoped either. Roper and Green pushed Brother Rice to make poor decisions. As the quarter progressed Green continued t
o rack up steals. Later in the quarter, the teams started to trade buckets, however, Country Day still held a strong double digit lead because of their early second quarter spurt. Country Day. held a 36-23 advantage at the break.
Roper continued his strong play as did fellow freshman starting teammate, Mak Manciel. Manciel possesses a high IQ as well as a strong jump shot. With the plethora of young talent on this team, they look to be Breslin bound within the next couple of years. As Country Day continued to control the ball game, Brantley kept his Brother Rice Warriors alive. He scored down low and hit contested jumpers. Green continued to wow the crowd with his flashy handles and beautiful passing skills. The third quarter was concluded with a drive and kick from Green to Roper. The quarter ended with a 46-35 Detroit Country Day lead. Roper is a killer.
Shots weren’t falling for both teams in the beginning of the fourth but both teams continued to play hard. This very anticlimactic quarter consisted of stalling from Country Day and some made free throws for Brother Rice. The game ended with a fatigued Brother Rice team getting scored on in transition continuously by the Yellow Jackets of Country Day. Country Day out scored Brother Rice by 17 in the final three quarters and won the contest 61-43. Julian Roper lead Country Day with 23 points coming from outside the arc and down low. Freshman guard, Mikkos Stewart added 10 points off the bench. Wendell Green JR. added 7 points with 11 rebounds, 10 assists, and 6 steals. Jon Brantley led Brother Rice with 17 points. Brother Rice, like Country Day, has bright future with their young guards. Fellow sophomore guard for Brother Rice, David Jabiro, hit a three against Country Day and played with poise against this tough Country Day team. Matt Torey played strong and controlled the offense for Brother Rice. After Torey graduates this year, Jabiro will likely be stepping into his shoes as the floor general.