Ten Best: Hamilton Heights vs. Lebanon
The game was close early on but that was before Trevor Lakes had really even done anything. Hamilton Heights got out to a 13-10 lead at the end of the first quarter with a pair of Max Wahl threes. They…
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Continue ReadingThe game was close early on but that was before Trevor Lakes had really even done anything. Hamilton Heights got out to a 13-10 lead at the end of the first quarter with a pair of Max Wahl threes. They struggled in the middle quarters with a combination of Lebanon’s Trevor Lakes starting to hit shots and Caymn Lutz and Sterling Weatherford struggling to hit them. Heights relied on their third, fourth, and fifth scoring options for the majority of the game and did keep it within reach.
At the half, Lebanon retook the lead and led by 10. Heights kept it there into the third quarter but in the fourth, it was all Lebanon as they pulled away for the easy win. Trevor Lakes led all scorers with 23 points (10/16 FG), 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2 steals. Alex Siegfried hit a ton of late free throws giving him 17 points (12/14 from the FT line). Will Byrd joined in with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. For Heights, Caymn Lutz and Sterling Weatherford both had 14 points. Sterling also chipped in 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Max Wahl had 12 points on 4/8 shooting.
MVP: Trevor Lakes (Lebanon)
Lebanon might not have needed Lakes to win this game but he was still the most valuable player on the floor. His statline alone tells you that as he went 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2 steals. He did a lot of what you wanted to see out of him which was still reliant upon his three but more than willing to make a play off the ball and on defense. He had quite a few big plays on defense and some crazy buckets on offense. This was a good game for him that you hope can be a baseline for his play this season.
Play of the Game: Trevor Lakes (Lebanon)
The play of the game was an inbounds play with a few second left on the clock before the half. One of the Lebanon players inbounded the ball under their own hoop and it ended up going immediately into a lob for Lakes on the other side where he tipped it in as he was falling away from the basket. It was key because with that bucket it put Lebanon up double digits and that was about as close as Hamilton Heights got again.
Best Offensive Performance: Will Byrd (Lebanon)
Could go with Trevor Lakes here as well but want to key in on Byrd. The 6’4 wing was really good tonight going for 16 points and 8 rebounds. He was the most consistent player on the team, from start to finish. Siegfried came on late and Lakes had a couple lulls but Will did a good job of giving Lebanon a bucket anytime they needed one. His was solid and he added 8/9 from the free throw line.
Best Defensive Performance: Sterling Weatherford (Hamilton Heights)
Weatherford struggled on offense most of the night but he had quite a few defensive plays that kept this game from being a complete blowout. He had 11 rebounds and 3 blocks, 9 of those boards coming on the defensive end. His length and size was the only real help they could throw on Lakes and even though it wasn’t ideal and Lakes did score, Sterling at least was able to help slow him down.
Best Guy Off The Bench: Alex Siegfried (Lebanon)
Siegfried is the easy choice here as he dropped 17 points from the bench. Most of his scoring came from the free throw line but he was all the same. Lebanon needed points from a third source and outside of Siegfried, Lakes, and Byrd, they only had three other players score at all. He came up big and was a big reason that at the end of the game this became a more spread out game.
Best Intangibles: Max Wahl (Hamilton Heights)
For Hamilton Heights, they really don’t have too many options in terms of players that can be dynamic. Lutz, Weatherford, and that is about it. Wahl gives them a three-point threat who can also play fast and speed up the defense. He still has to work on finishing at the rim against length but the 5’9 Wahl gets after it and brings energy.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Jaylen Washington (Lebanon)
The one guy that really made some plays that we didn’t expect was Jaylen Washington of Lebanon. The 5’10 guard stepped up early on for the Tigers as he showed the ability to attack off the bounce and do it creative enough to finish it in the lane. He’s a stout little guard but has some toughness to his game. He had 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals.
Best Underclassmen: Carson Burtron (Lebanon)
There were only a few underclassmen even on the roster but the one we liked the most was Carson Burtron. The 6’2 guard looked confident and willing to make a play. He has a nice frame with some strength already for a sophomore. Should give them a deep bench option this season.
Best Stat Of The Night: Lebanon Free Throws
The best stat in this game was Lebanon’s free throw shooting. They had to have it, especially late, because Hamilton Heights threatened to make a run in the fourth quarter. Heights scored 19 in the fourth but Lebanon scored 26 and most coming at the line. They went 24/31 for 77.4% but their key guys were great. Siegfried went 12/14 and Byrd was 8/9.
Best Storyline Moving Forward: The storyline moving forward is how good can this Lebanon team be. If you get three players like Lebanon does that can contribute on a nightly basis as a 3A team, you should do well. However, this is the year that this team can really do damage as Lakes and Byrd are graduating. How long can they stay undefeated? Games until Christmas all look winnable so we will have to sit and watch.