Gainesville vs. Eastside: The Standouts
The Gainesville Hurricanes got revenge vs. their cross-town rival Eastside Rams, Friday night. After dropping the first meeting a few weeks ago in blowout fashion, the ‘Canes fended off the late-surging ‘Side and took home a 61-52 win. Here are a few of the standouts from both sides of the ball.
Christian Miller-Cardwell – Gainesville: His game came to him a lot quicker than in the last meeting. He was hitting his corner three-balls, aggressively getting to the bucket. CMC’s midrange game is getting better, over time. On the defensive end, he kept his man in check—didn’t allow him to cut corners and beat him to the bucket. He led all scorers with 21. Also added five rebounds.
J’Len Wilson – Gainesville: Wilson is a deceivingly-quick guard whose one of the more tenacious in the city. He finished with 14 points, second on the team for the game. He’s one of the more clutch players on the squad. In the waining seconds Wilson took it from three-quarters-court to finish a tough layup and ice the game. The passion is there, for Wilson. Won’t have to question the hustle. He notched seven assists and six rebounds alongside his scoring.
Noah Richardson – Eastside: One of the longer players on this Eastside roster, Noah gave it all he had in his senior night finale. He notched 14 points, 12 in the second half, and knocked down some pretty key threes that helped with their late comeback. Noah’s a guy that leads by example. Never have to worry about where his head is. It’s always on the task at hand. You can see the focus in his face.
Keanis Smart – Eastside: Keanis’s energy throughout the entire game was noticeable. In the post, he was a tough guard. Anywhere in the paint, he was able to rise up for short jumpers, or use his length to get close to the rim and finish. All of his 16 points came in the last three quarters. Shows his ability to march through stretches when he’s not necessarily effective. He bounced back strong.