St. Pete-Gibbs v. Pinellas Park: Standouts
On a brisk Pinellas Park night, the hometown Patriots hosted the visiting Gibbs squad out of St. Petersburg. Gibbs got the 77-63 road win, but a bevy of players made their presence felt throughout the game. Let’s take a look at a few of the standouts.
Jared McGarrity – Pinellas Park: This junior guard notched 11 of his 19 points in the second half, and hit a total of five threes, on the night. Jared’s one of the best three-point shooters I’ve seen, especially as far as form is concerned. He has a stout build, can get to the cup if you give him the lane. But from outside, whether he’s covered or not, his shot has a better chance than most to fall. Jared’s a battler for rebounds, as well.
Deonnte Brooks – Gibbs: Brooks was easily the man of the hour after dropping 25 points on the Patriots. He notched a couple of treys, but in the paint is where he made his impact. Anything from floaters at the elbow, to tough layups right at the rim, Brooks was ready for it all. A shorter guard that makes up for it with physicality, Brooks was seen snatching a few balls away from ball-handlers with ease.
Ahke McMichael – Pinellas Park: One of the speediest guards that I’ve seen in a while. He’s also leading the city in scoring per game, according to coach Tim Lopez. Ahke is a fearless driver to the bucket, finishes well with contact. On the defensive side, he creates great opportunities get steals and push the ball, in-transition. In the game vs. Gibbs, he notched 20 points.
Kai Pennington – Gibbs: Kai did most of his damage in the second half, notching 11 of his 17 total points in the final two periods. He laced four threes, on the night. This is another guy that if you allow him to spot-up shoot, he’ll make you pay. If Gibbs find themselves down late in any game, feed Kai.
Tre Gilliam – Gibbs: Fourteen of his 23 total points came in the second half, and all but three came through aggressively attacking the paint. In-transition, Gilliam is great at making the correct pass to his most-open teammate. On defense, he can come away with steals of his own. From the foul line, he went 8-of-12, he knows how to penetrate and draw contact. Definitely a key player for Gibbs, all-around.