Ten Best: Bettendorf (54) at Linn-Mar (56)
Linn-Mar sophomore Trey Hutcheson led all scorers with 14 Linn-Mar 56, Bettendorf 54 A very inexperienced Linn-Mar team started their season off with a home win over one of the favorites in the MAC on Saturday night, beating Bettendorf 56-54.…
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Continue ReadingLinn-Mar 56, Bettendorf 54
A very inexperienced Linn-Mar team started their season off with a home win over one of the favorites in the MAC on Saturday night, beating Bettendorf 56-54.
A Lions group that featured no players with any significant varsity experience led wire-to-wire against an experienced Bettendorf group that struggled to find their rhythm on the offensive end. The Bulldogs were held to just two points in the first quarter, going 1-for-10 from the floor in the opening stanza as Linn-Mar jumped out to an 11-2 lead. The Bulldogs came back to make it just a two point game at the half, 18-16.
The second half was a tale of two quarters, as Linn-Mar jumped all over Bettendorf in the third. The Lions knocked down six 3s (by six different players), and went 9-for-10 from the field, extending their lead to 42-30 heading into the fourth quarter. The fourth looked like it would be the same, with Linn-Mar holding a 47-36 edge with just over four minutes to play. A furious Bettendorf comeback effort spurred by sophomore guard D.J. Carton pulled them as close as one with 16.0 to go, but Linn-Mar broke the press and got a layup, then forced nine seconds to come off the clock in the final possession before Carton got fouled. At the line down three with 1.6 seconds left, he had to try to pull off the “make the first, miss the second” maneuver, but couldn’t execute it, giving Linn-Mar a two-point win.
Linn-Mar (1-0) was led by Trey Hutcheson, who had 14 points. Tyler Voves had 11 and Cole Martin added nine off the bench. Bettendorf (1-1) was led by D.J. Carton, with 13. Dylan Clearman had 12 and Cole Grothusen added 10 in the loss.
Scoring
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Bettendorf | 2 | 14 | 14 | 24 | 54 |
Linn-Mar | 11 | 7 | 24 | 14 | 56 |
Bettendorf: D.J. Carton 13, Dylan Clearman 12, Cole Grothusen 10, Joe Martens 9, Suni Lane 6, Mark Kallenberger 2, Michael Baer 2
Linn-Mar: Trey Hutcheson 14, Tyler Voves 11, Cole Martin 9, Nolan Ruff 7, Dylan Hand 6, Reese Phillips 3, Nate Annis 3, Jacob Robertson 3
MVP: Cole Martin (Linn-Mar)
Martin didn’t have the most eye-popping stats (nine points, one rebound, one assist), but his presence on the floor seemed to have a calming influence for a very inexperienced Linn-Mar team. They protected the ball better when he was on the court, ran their offense better and played better on the defensive end. A glue guy who does all the little things to help win.
Play of the game: Linn-Mar making nine seconds come off the clock during the last possession
After Linn-Mar broke the press, a Tyler Voves layup gave them a 3-point lead, 56-53, with 10.8 seconds to play. The ensuing Bettendorf possession, Linn-Mar nearly forced a turnover, then fouled D.J. Carton in the scramble for the loose ball, sending him to the line. However, nine seconds had come off the clock by this point, meaning Carton had to attempt the ever-so-difficult make the first, intentionally miss the second routine, which failed, securing the win for the Lions.
Best offensive performance: Trey Hutcheson (Linn-Mar)
The talented sophomore wing played in his first varsity game and looked like the best player on the floor for most of the evening. He scored in a variety of ways, knocking down a three, scoring off an offensive rebound, on a post up and he put the ball on the floor and got to the rim for a finish. As he continues to refine his skill set, he’ll be a major matchup problem with his size, strength and skill.
Best defensive performance: Suni Lane (Bettendorf)
A versatile, athletic defender, Lane is capable of defending multiple spots on the floor with his size and quickness combination. He’s long, moves his feet well and is a solid help defender capable of blocking shots as well.
Best player off the bench: D.J. Carton (Bettendorf)
The sophomore point guard for the Bulldogs was fairly quiet during the first three quarters, but he was absolutely sensational late in the game, helping Bettendorf nearly complete the comeback. He’s a good ball handler, has a great first step and gets to the rim where he is capable of finishing or getting to the line, where he converted nine of 10 free throw attempts (with the only miss being intentional). He made plays on the defensive end, ran the offense and showed all sorts of potential.
Best shooter: Dylan Clearman (Bettendorf)
A marksman from deep, Clearman knocked down three 3s, knocking them down both off the catch and the dribble. He took perhaps a few ill-advised shots, but with the Bulldogs in comeback mode and needing to score in a relative hurry, they can be dismissed.
Best rebounder: Mark Kallenberger (Bettendorf)
The big bodied Iowa football commit was a bull on the glass, easily the biggest player on the floor and he certainly played like it. He makes good, hard contact on his box outs and will never get pushed out of position.
Best intangibles: Cole Martin (Linn-Mar)
As mentioned in the MVP portion, Martin was the calming influence for a Linn-Mar team that featured no players with any significant varsity experience coming into the game.
Best underclassman: Trey Hutcheson (Linn-Mar)
This could honestly go to either Hutcheson or Carton, as they were not only the two best underclassmen, but probably the two best players on the floor regardless of class. We’ll give the slight nod to Hutcheson who was very strong in the Lions win, showcasing his versatility on both ends of the floor.
Story to watch moving forward: Does a go-to scorer emerge for Bettendorf?
Having the balance the Bulldogs had last year is nice, with six players averaging between 6.9 and 8.5 points. However, this is a team that needs to find someone that can give the ball to when they really need a bucket, like they did when they were struggling to score in the first quarter. Perhaps that player is D.J. Carton. We shall see.