10 Best: St. Pete vs. Palm Harbor
Two Class 8A-District 10 rivals met on Monday night. St. Petersburg came to Palm Harbor and picked up an 84-59 win to stay perfect on the season. The Green Devils (3-0) earned 24 points apiece from Darius Banks and Serrel…
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Continue ReadingTwo Class 8A-District 10 rivals met on Monday night. St. Petersburg came to Palm Harbor and picked up an 84-59 win to stay perfect on the season.
The Green Devils (3-0) earned 24 points apiece from Darius Banks and Serrel Smith. For Palm Harbor (3-2), Gage Bauer led the way with 21 points.
MVP: Serrel Smith (St. Pete)
Serrel Smith could have easily dropped 40 if this game was closer early on. The junior guard scored 10 points in four minutes of the opening quarter. He had 18 points after the first quarter and 20 at the half. Finishing with 24 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a steal there wasn’t much Smith couldn’t do on Monday. Both Richmond and South Alabama were present to watch him and Darius Banks play.
Best offensive performance: Darius Banks (St. Pete)
Senior forward Darius Banks is a known commodity around the Tampa Bay area. He had seven points at the half and broke free in the second half with 21 points including 10 of the 16 points in the fourth quarter. Along with his 24 points, Banks had five rebounds and an assist.
Best defensive performance: Jahmar Lee (St. Pete)
Jahmar Lee had three points on the night, all coming in the paint. The senior played as an aggressive interior rebounder with six in this game. Lee does all the things you want from a defensive leader and core player.
Best guy off the bench: Jaylon Holland (St. Pete)
Jaylon Holland brought energy on both sides of the ball off the bench. He broke into transition often as he finished with eight points. Holland is strong at the point of attack and not afraid to use his upper body strength to his advantage.
Best intangibles: Braxton Bartlett (Palm Harbor)
6’5″ sophomore Braxton Bartlett fought through adversity in this game. He had three points at the half and couldn’t find any open space against the Green Devils tough defense. Bartlett finished with 16 points including seven in the fourth quarter. He also had six assists to show off his unselfishness.
Best under-the-radar performance: Andy Blair (Palm Harbor)
Andy Blair didn’t score at all in the first half as St. Pete kept the Hurricanes out of the post often. The junior guard finished with seven points and started to come on in the game late. He hit a couple of nice jumpers and showed some poise. He is a key commodity for Palm Harbor.
Best underclassmen: Braxton Bartlett (Palm Harbor)
You can say St. Pete sophomore’s Harlon Babb and Jack Hosack are up-and-comers, but Palm Harbor’s Braxton Bartlett has already arrived. I’ve seen him a ton this summer at the AAU Showcase in Orlando back in July and our expo in September. His potential is through the roof.
Best catch and shoot guy: Gage Bauer (Palm Harbor)
Gage Bauer led the Hurricanes with 21 points. He made a lot of his shots from the perimeter but benefited from some nice passes from the Palm Harbor guards. Bauer is a gritty player who gets to the line often because he isn’t afraid to put his body on the line.
Best energy guy: DJ Anderson (St. Pete)
The junior guard added seven points off the bench. DJ Anderson is someone St. Pete can give the ball and trust that he’ll make smart decisions. He scored most of his points in the second half and gave the Green Devils good minutes.