Ten Best: 3rd Place Game Goshen Holiday Tournament – East Noble at Goshen
Game Recap: East Noble 61 – Goshen 65 (OT) East Noble came out of the gate as the aggressor and behind three first quarter threes from senior Brandon Nichols, East Noble took a 17-8 lead into the second quarter. They…
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Continue ReadingGame Recap: East Noble 61 – Goshen 65 (OT)
East Noble came out of the gate as the aggressor and behind three first quarter threes from senior Brandon Nichols, East Noble took a 17-8 lead into the second quarter. They continued to dominate the game up until the half with six threes from Nichols. The Knights were up 33-20 at the half with Nichols outscoring Goshen himself, 22-20.
The second half was all Goshen. Goshen came out with a different mindset and turned it up on the defensive end of the floor. Nichols only got off one more three and it was rushed. Goshen won the third quarter 17-13 and were on the move heading into the final quarter down 46-37. East Noble became lax on the offensive end and weren’t the aggressor anymore. Goshen went on a run in the final two minutes to tie the game at 56 on a buzzer beater three from senior Will Line.
Heading into OT, Goshen had all the momentum and scored first in the extra session. Will Line and Mitchell Walters pulled through for Goshen down the stretch and helped them to a 65-61 win over East Noble to finish 3rd in the tournament.
MVP: Will Line (Goshen)
Will Line had a quiet first half but completely flipped the script in the second. Line finished with 25 points (9-15 2FG, 2-6 3FG, 1-3 FT), 4 defensive rebounds, and 2 assists. He was the sole reason that Goshen had a shot at the game into the fourth quarter as he scored 21 of his 25 in the second half and OT. Line was aggressive going to the basket and finished well around the rim showing poise when East Noble ran two defenders at him.
Best Offensive Performance: Will Line (Goshen)
Line was unstoppable in the second half once he got his touch going around the basket and felt the energy from the crowd. He finished with a game high 25 points on 52% shooting from the field. Goshen looked for Will to be aggressive on every catch and he was consistently drawing attention from more than one defender. He used his dribbles effectively going to the basket and didn’t seem to waste any motion. He elevated over defenders at the basket and would finish strong through contact when he couldn’t elevate.
Best Defensive Performance: Michael Pinarski (Goshen)
Pinarski never really got it going on the offensive end of the floor finishing with 7 points (3-5 2FG, 0-3 3FG, 1-1 FT) but he added what he could on the defensive end of the floor. Pinarski shut Nichols down in the second half giving him only 2 points, had 4 defensive rebounds, and finished with a game high 3 steals. Michal was the hardest worker on the defensive end for Goshen and it really paid off down the stretch as the limited East Noble to just 10 points in the fourth quarter.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Mitchell Walters (Goshen)
The only reason Walters didn’t get the MVP and Best Offensive Performance nod was foul trouble. The senior was efficient and effective all game long when he was on the floor finishing with 20 points (7-11 2FG and 6-8 FT), 7 rebounds (3 defensive and 4 offensive), and an assist. Walters was great scoring with his back to the basket in the post. He used his experience and body to get off some tough shots but made it look easy. Walters was definitely the next in line for top player in the game but Line really helped put Goshen in a spot to win down the line.
Best Player Off-The-Bench: Brent Cox (East Noble)
Brent Cox brings some extra length and size off the bench for East Noble. Cox stands at a lanky 6’5” and used his length effectively in the 3rd place contest, bothering and blocking shots around the rim. Cox finished with 4 points (2-4 2FG), 6 rebounds (5 defensive and 1 offensive), and 2 blocks. In a game that was dominated by starters on both teams, Cox gave the Knights good minutes off the bench.
Best Shooter: Brandon Nichols (East Noble)
Brandon Nichols is a catch and shoot guy but he can get them off quick with just a little space. Nichols was 6-6 from deep in the first half and had a game high 22 points at the half. He finished the game with 24 points (3-7 2FG and 6-7 3FG). A couple of his threes came from a few feet behind the line. Coming out in the second half he was faced with someone face guarding him and East Noble looked at others to score rather than draw up plays to get him open. Nichols is a knock down shooter from deep.
Best Intangibles: Hayden Jones (East Noble)
The freshman has it all. He has the IQ that coaches look for, he is a good ball handler, decent jump shot, and great on the defensive end. If he grows a few more inches he will be a great PG for East Noble. He did a great job for them yesterday. Jones’ court vision is superb for a freshman PG and he is smart with the decisions that he makes. Hayden does all of the little things (boxing out, diving on the floor, etc) that you would expect a graduating senior to do. He is a winner.
Best Rebounder: Andrew McCormick (East Noble)
Andrew McCormick was all over the glass. He is the starting QB for the East Noble football team and his aggressiveness, strength, and athleticism make him a great rebounder. McCormick finished with a game high 15 rebounds (12 defensive and 3 offensive). He has good hands and he elevated over everyone else to pull them down. McCormick also pitched in with 13 points (3-9 2FG, 1-3 3FG, and 4-6 FT), 5 assists, and 2 steals. He had his fingerprints all over the game.
Best Underclassmen: Hayden Jones (East Noble)
Hayden Jones played the most minutes for East Noble as a freshman. He was in charge of bringing the ball up the floor all game and setting up the offense. Jones finished with 12 points (2-3 2FG, 1-5 3FG, and 5-6 FT), 6 defensive rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. Jones is a good defender for being an undersized guard and works hard on both ends of the floor. He is a guy that you love having on your team but do not want to play against because he gets up in you on defense. Jones will be a player to keep an eye on coming out of East Noble in the next few years.
Biggest Takeaway: Tale of Two Halves
East Noble completely dominated the first half but they were completely dominated in the second half. The Knights became passive and went away from what got them the early lead. They weren’t as aggressive going to the basket and seemed to try and take longer possessions even when they got open shots. Goshen was the aggressor in the second half and that carried over into overtime. As soon as Goshen saw East Noble back down, they stepped on the accelerator, whereas East Noble pulled off when they were up early.
Congratulations to Goshen on finishing 3rd in the Goshen Holiday Tournament.