Ten Best: Bluffton at Norwell
Game Recap: Bluffton at Norwell The game got off to a slow start and never really picked up. At the end of the first quarter, Norwell was up 12 – 9 off of some easy baskets in transition. The second…
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Continue ReadingGame Recap: Bluffton at Norwell
The game got off to a slow start and never really picked up. At the end of the first quarter, Norwell was up 12 – 9 off of some easy baskets in transition. The second quarter was a struggle on the offensive end for both teams. Neither team looked comfortable on the floor and both struggled to make open shots. Norwell won the quarter 9 to 5 and took a 21 – 14 lead into halftime.
Coming out in the 3rd quarter, Norwell made a quick 8-point run by virtue of Shively and Geiger getting easy buckets and getting to the line. They began to pull away and were up 39 – 21 going in to the fourth quarter. Norwell limited Bluffton to just 11 second half points and finished off the game with a 43 – 25 victory at home in front of a packed house.
MVP: Will Geiger (Norwell)
Class of 2020 Forward, Will Geiger was ready to play from the opening tip. He finished the game with 16 points (6-10 2FG and 4-6 FT), 12 rebounds (8 defensive and 4 offensive), 3 steals, 2 assists, and a block. He made his presence felt every moment he was on the floor and is not afraid of contact. The freshman stands 6’3” but plays more like he’s 6’6”. He is athletic enough to finish over taller defenders and picks his spots well to attack. He was the primary focus of Norwell’s offense for the majority of the game and found himself getting involved early with offensive rebounds and put backs.
Best Offensive Performance: Cody Shively (Norwell)
The senior is the unprecedented leader of the Norwell Knights and was looking for his offense early tonight. Shively finished with 16 points (4-6 2FG, 2-4 3FG, and 2-3 FT), 4 rebounds (3 defensive and 1 offensive), 3 assists, and 2 steals. Shively is the primary ball handler for the Knights and did a good job of controlling the offense. He is more of a catch and shoot kind of guy but his shot has a soft touch even on his misses.
Best Defensive Performance: Reilly Stauffer (Norwell)
Reilly Stauffer is one of those guys that prides himself on the defensive end but gives a little offense too. Reilly was always in a defensive stance with active hands whenever he closed out to the ball. He finished the game with a game high 4 steals and 2 pass deflections. Reilly was also able to pull in 5 defensive rebounds to help the Knights put an end to the Bluffton possessions. He was the one guarding Bluffton’s best scorer for the majority of the night.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Max Corle (Bluffton)
Max Corle struggled a little bit early on to get involved in the game but finished the game with 11 points (4-7 2FG, 0-2 3FG, and 3-4 FT), 8 rebounds (7 defensive and 1 offensive), and a steal. Corle was the main focus of Bluffton’s offense and they tried to get him a touch at least every possession. He wasn’t overly aggressive looking for his shot until the second half when things started to get out of hand.
Best Player Off-The-Bench: Luke Zeddis (Norwell)
Luke Zeddis came off the bench early for the Knights as Cole Wilson found himself in foul trouble. Luke finished the game with 5 points (0-1 2FG, 1-5 3FG, and 2-2 FT), 2 defensive rebounds, a steal, and an assist. Although these aren’t out of this world numbers, he was solid off the bench and gave his team exactly what they needed. Shively and Geiger were scoring for Norwell and Zeddis took the open shots and put himself in the right position on defense to help his team win.
Most Influential: Mitchell Kuhlenbeck (Bluffton)
Another under-the-radar type performance, Kuhlenbeck helped Bluffton keep the game close at least for the first half. The PG had the ball in his hands the most for Bluffton on the night and did the little things to give them a fighting chance. Without him on the floor, Bluffton really struggled to get anything going. He finished with 10 points (2-9 3FG and 4-4 FT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and a steal. Although it wasn’t a great shooting night for Mitchell, he continued to take the open shot within the flow of the offense. His confidence in his game and shot never wavered.
Best Intangibles: Reilly Stauffer (Norwell)
Stauffer is a consistent guard that will give Norwell nothing but his best night in and night out. He is the kind of guy that you like playing with but hate playing against. He works hard on both ends of the floor and doesn’t do anything outside of his skill set. Stauffer always had his hands active on the defensive end and was the most vocal player for the Knights tonight. He is one of four seniors on the roster and takes each game as if it’s his last.
Best Rebounder: Will Geiger (Norwell)
Geiger was impressive tonight. A “big” that stood at 6’3” wasn’t overly enticing at the tip but he outworked every other forward/center on the floor. Geiger was great with positioning and attacked the glass with reckless abandonment. He had strong hands that pulled rebounds out of the air that were 50-50 balls. Geiger finished with a game high 12 rebounds (8 defensive and 4 offensive).
Best Underclassmen: Will Geiger (Norwell)
Geiger was the most impressive player on the floor, taking into account both teams. He was the only player that finished with a double-double and added many other things to the stat sheet for Norwell. He plays each possession with passion and effort. He is a winner at heart and his base skill set for a freshman will take him far if he continues to work on his game. Finishing with 16 points of the teams 43 as a under-sized freshman forward speaks highly of Geiger. He was the best underclassmen by a long shot in tonight’s contest.
Biggest Takeaway: Turnovers and Pace of Play
Norwell won the turnover battle in tonight’s game (+6) which lead to some easy baskets in transition and an easy 18-point victory. Although this was a blow out win, the Knights will need production from Stauffer and Wilson moving forward to be successful. If Shively and Geiger can continue to play at this level, the Knights will have a solid chance at winning a good amount of their games. Bluffton is more of a half-court, possession team whereas Norwell tried to speed them up a bit with a full court press. Neither team is going to have any games of 80+ this season but Norwell was looking to get the game sped up a bit tonight. Bluffton is still searching for their identity as a team and as individuals.