10 Best: Park Christian vs. Heritage Christian
On the busy first Friday night of hoops all around the state, I stayed close to home and caught an 8 p.m. tip between two Class A squads. Heritage jumped out to an early double digit lead on Park Christian…
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Continue ReadingOn the busy first Friday night of hoops all around the state, I stayed close to home and caught an 8 p.m. tip between two Class A squads. Heritage jumped out to an early double digit lead on Park Christian and never looked back, applying pressure all night to cruise to an 80-47 victory.
A balanced scoring attack for the Eagles of Heritage Christian Academy led by Zach Johansen and C.J. Woda overpowered Steele Senske and the Falcons from start to finish.
MVP: Zach Johansen (SG, 6-2, Sr., Heritage)
Johansen was hot from the tip—he had a steal to a layup sandwiched between two triples in the first two minutes—and kept the hot hand throughout. His perimeter defense was stellar paired with a constant flow of offensive production, anticipating easy steals at the front of HCA’s 2-2-1 press leading to fast break buckets. Shared the ball well at the end of the game, getting all teammates involved. Johansen, who is committed to Bethel, finished the game with 24 points.
Best offensive performance: C.J. Woda (SF, 6-4, Sr., Heritage)
The Gustavus-committed senior wing struggled from the arc in the first half, only registering seven points. There was some kind of spark under him after that, powering toward the rim almost every chance he got and utilizing wing pick-and-rolls to create space. He scored a total of 20 points with a Gustavus assistant in the house.
Best defensive performance: Ben Allen (PG, 6-0, Jr., Heritage)
Allen is an opposing guard’s worst nightmare, continuously hopping around causing trouble with his quick hands and knack for jumping passing lanes. On multiple occasions, Allen’s aggressiveness kept Park Christian from moving the ball past halfcourt, giving his teammates opportunities to finish.
Best coaching decision: Eagles coach Tim Herman’s full-court pressure
With athletic, springy guards and wings from positions 1-4, Coach Herman implemented a 2-2-1 press for most of the game, harassing the younger ballhandlers for the Falcons into committing turnovers in bunches. Not until Heritage had a sizable 25-point lead did he let his foot off the gas pedal.
Best play: Vander Top’s baseline poster
Jack Vander Top, 6-foot-6 senior center for Heritage, was having himself a quiet night until midway through the second half. Then out of nowhere he rips through the baseline to rise and flush it down with two hands, followed by a roar that got the crowd revved up. (The Eagles were flying around in warm-ups, too, with multiple dunks from players you might not expect.)
Best under-the-radar performance: Steele Senske (G, 6-3, Jr., Park Christian)
When playing for a private school in the Fargo-Moorhead area, you aren’t going to get a ton of attention in the metro. Senske deserves that attention as a pure scorer for the Falcons. Struggling to connect from deep early on, he let his teammates take charge, but when the going got tough, Steele put in difficult shots from all over the floor. Pull-ups, set threes, crafty layups, you name it; he finished with 24 in the defeat. A name to watch, I can see him as a nice D2/NAIA pickup, or at the very least high-level D3.
Best intangibles: Tim Thurston (F, 6-1, Sr., Heritage)
Tim is not your prototypical ballplayer. Standing 6-foot-1 with a nose tackle’s frame, his offensive prowess was not shown tonight, but his willingness to play within his role was. An unselfish passer and steady, solid post defender, Thurston displayed a side of the game that isn’t highlighted often: a team-first, aw-shucks kind of guy who is just happy when he helps his teammates win.
Best underclassman: Ryan Kerr (G, 6-0, So., Park Christian)
This guy brought intensity from the start. While Senske was having trouble, Kerr knocked down a couple bombs and drove hard to the basket, desperately trying to get his team going. With that kind of motor you’re bound to be successful. Added 15 points for the Falcons.
Best performance off the bench: Seth Halvorsen (G, 6-1, Jr., Heritage)
Another guard who impressed me during layup lines, elevating to throw down. Deceptively athletic, Halvorsen hit big shots that gave momentum back to the Eagles in the first half. He answered the call when summoned into the game and he was frequently crashing the offensive glass with ferocity. Promising role player.
Best quote: young fan challenges MVP of the night
As the contest wound into running time, loud and supportive youth shouted out to Johansen during a free throw: “Hey Zach! Throw it down! Go dunk it!” A smile was all Zach could come up with at the moment; three possessions later, he leaked out on the fast break and slammed it with two authoritative hands.