10 Best: Calvary Christian vs. Jesuit
Two fundamentally sound programs met on Tuesday night as Jesuit upended visiting Calvary Christian 66-61. The Tigers (17-1) were led by seniors Stevie Darst and Lucas Uzdavinis, who each scored 22 points. For the Warriors (15-5), senior Paxton Wilson had…
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Continue ReadingTwo fundamentally sound programs met on Tuesday night as Jesuit upended visiting Calvary Christian 66-61.
The Tigers (17-1) were led by seniors Stevie Darst and Lucas Uzdavinis, who each scored 22 points. For the Warriors (15-5), senior Paxton Wilson had 16 points.
Here are the 10 best performers from this matchup.
MVP: Stevie Darst (Jesuit)
Stevie Darst was the top option for the Jesuit in both the first and second half. He had nine points at the break and then tacked on 13 over the final 16 minutes. He scored six of Jesuit’s final 10 points of the game including two big free throws to give the Tigers a three-point lead with 46.3 seconds left. A 22-point performance was nice to see from the senior.
Best offensive performance: Lucas Uzdavinis (Jesuit)
No one could slow down Lucas Uzdvainis. The senior had five points at the break and didn’t do much, but in the second half, he connected on five 3-pointers and a lay-in. Uzdvainis fouled out right after putting Jesuit in front 60-57 with just over three minutes left. He was called for a technical foul after celebrating following his go-ahead triple.
Best defensive performance: Will Anderson (Jesuit)
A player who most likely land at the Division-III level, Will Anderson made his typical contributions on defense. The senior hustles and it was evident with his two points, six rebounds, two assists, steal and block on the night. Anderson does a lot of work down low that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet typically.
Best intangibles: Thierry Moliere (Jesuit)
Outside of a few turnovers in the second half that could very well the best I’ve seen Thierry Moliere play this season. The junior guard had 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Moliere used his aggressiveness to his advantage as an attacker and defender. His steal and dunk in transition was a thing of beauty in the first quarter ().
Best under-the-radar performance: Danny Neugebauer (Calvary Christian)
The Illinois native had seven points in this game. Danny Neugebauer is someone who gives you good minutes each and every night. His 3-pointer with 3:23 left knotted the game up at 57. He also had four rebounds and two assists. Neugebauer can make plays all over the floor for Calvary Christian.
Best catch and shoot guy: Lucas Uzdavinis (Jesuit)
Uzdavinis found fire when it mattered most for the Tigers drilling six 3-pointers. He tied Darst with a team-best 22 points. The senior big man can really shoot from outside. Jesuit is at its best when Uzdavinis, Darst, Dunn and junior Nick Weir are connecting from long range. Uzdavinis is an important piece for these Tigers.
Best grinder: Paxton Wilson (Calvary Christian)
Senior Paxton Wilson is known as a knockdown shooter. He did just that in the first half, adding a team-high 12 points. Wilson was held to six points in the second half as Jesuit took an added notion to slow him down. He never gives up in games and that is something that will help a ton at Rider next season. Wilson is very sound. He scored 18 in this one.
Best attacker: Eddie Williams (Calvary Christian)
The second half was all about Eddie Williams for the Warriors. The senior forward had only two points over the first 16 minutes, but across the final two quarters, he scored 12 points. In fact, Calvary Christian only got 14 other points in that span from players not named Williams. This kid is very savvy and smart inside.
Best energy: Juice Thompson (Calvary Christian)
Every time I watch Calvary Christian guard Juice Thompson, I like what he can do more and more. The senior scored eight points in this game including an attacking layup with three seconds left in the first half. Thompson wasn’t afraid to mix it up down low and contributed with four rebounds and three steals as well.
Best unselfish player: Tyson Dunn (Jesuit)
Up 64-61 with 22.2 seconds left in the game, senior guard Tyson Dunn sunk two free throws to give Jesuit plenty of leeway. Dunn drilled a 3-pointer in the opening quarter and had only five points in this game. However, he showed up as a true team player with four rebounds and very good passing during long sets.