10 Best: St. Edmond (49) vs Des Moines Christian (79)
Urbandale — It was an easy win tonight for Des Moines Christian, who led from wire-to-wire and left feeling satisfied after a 30-point shellacking of St. Edmond (3-2). It was the Lions’ second win in as many nights, and they…
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Continue ReadingUrbandale — It was an easy win tonight for Des Moines Christian, who led from wire-to-wire and left feeling satisfied after a 30-point shellacking of St. Edmond (3-2). It was the Lions’ second win in as many nights, and they remain undefeated, moving to 5-0 after the impressive beat down.
Team Scoring
St. Edmond: 15 10 9 15 — 49
DM Christian: 24 17 14 24 — 79
Individual Scoring Leaders
St. Edmond: Charlie Doyle 15, Andrew Gibb 11, Will Woodruff 9.
DM Christian: Ben Juhl 20, Nathan Herbers 13, Austin Mona 11, Isaac Prewitt 10, Brandon Loverdude 9, Grant Veurink 9.
MVP: Ben Juhl
This was close between Juhl and fellow senior Nathan Herbers. But even when Herbers had his best game of the year, it’s Juhl that comes away with this distinction. He’s so good, and even when he’s not necessarily asserting himself he’s the most productive player on the floor.
Play of the Game: Seth Juhl Whips Pass Down Floor
This may seem strange, being that Seth — the younger brother of Ben — played all but two minutes at the end of the fourth quarter. But when he skied for a rebound and immediately whipped a 50-foot pass on a dime to a streaking teammate, I think I saw the future of Des Moines Christian hoops.
Best Offensive Performance: Ben Juhl
He scored more than anyone else on the floor, and he did it in a variety of ways. Whether he was using his method of choice and finishing at the rim, or pulling up for a mid-range, or even netting a triple, this kid is nearly impossible to contain.
Best Defensive Performance: Nathan Herbers
Juhl was great defensively, coming away with several steals, but Herbers was excellent. The 6-foot-2 wing is athletic and long — he even does the jump-ball for the Lions — and he uses those gifts to block shots, disrupt passing lanes and swipe steals. He’s one of the most effective defenders I’ve seen this season.
Best Underclassmen: Andrew Gibb
It took him awhile, but he got his buckets eventually. The sophomore sharpshooter was averaging 18.3 points per game coming into this one, while shooting 64 percent from the floor and 46 percent from deep. Amazingly, those numbers will rise after this one. Gibb was 4-4 from the floor, including 3-3 from deep.
Best Shooter: Ben Juhl
This is a tough one because Gibb was so efficient, and Charlie Doyle can let it fly with the best of them. But Ben Juhl was taking tougher shots in this one and he ended the game 8-10 from the floor. Juhl is a candidate for a 50-40-90 year, and the lefty is one of the most precise sharpshoooters in Iowa.
Best Rebunder: Will Woodruff
He’s a fiery post with some nice hops and he was the tallest player on the floor, so ya he was the best rebounder. Woodruff came into this one averaging 11.7 boards per contest, and he’ll be in or next installment of 2018 rankings.
Best Player off the Bench: Brandon Loverdude
Another in a bevy of seemingly 6-foot-1 Lions guards who can seriously play. Loverdude came into this one averaging 7.2 points per game and netted 9 points on 4-6 shooting tonight. He can get to the hoop or hit from deep. What a weapon off the bench for Des Moines Christian.
Best Intangibles: Nathan Herbers
Long arms and great leaping ability make this kid a guy that may not always show up in the stat sheet, but he’ll be critical to the success of Des Moines Christian. He’s a stat-stuffer type, and even if he scored zero points, it’s likely he’d have a slew of steals and blocks as contributions.
Story to Watch: Lions’ Lack of Size
The Lions are rolling right now, winners of five straight to start the season, and none of the games even close. But come postseason we wonder if their lack of size could matter more. Their tallest player is Grant Veurink, and at 6-foot-5 he’s plenty tall. But Vuerink is a slender 6’5 and has a penchant for playing on the perimeter. Will the lack of a true perimeter presence be a Lion killer?