10 Best: East Bay vs. Strawberry Crest
Strawberry Crest moved into third place in the Class 8A-District 9 standings with a convincing 71-45 home win over East Bay on Wednesday night. Sophomore forward Austin White found his groove with a 27-point performance for the Chargers (11-8) while…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingStrawberry Crest moved into third place in the Class 8A-District 9 standings with a convincing 71-45 home win over East Bay on Wednesday night.
Sophomore forward Austin White found his groove with a 27-point performance for the Chargers (11-8) while the Indians (11-9) earned an 11-point game from junior forward Bryan Marucci.
Here are the 10 best performers from this matchup.
MVP: Austin White (Strawberry Crest)
Shooting is Austin White’s specialty. The 6’5″ sophomore scored a game-high 27 points. He hit seven 3-pointers and drove to the basket a couple of times with strong finishes. White also had eight rebounds and two steals. The younger brother of Jordan White, Austin is a physical player who finds openings for himself. He was knocking down big shot after big shot in this matchup.
Best offensive performance: Jordan White (Strawberry Crest)
Jordan White’s first half really kept Strawberry Crest afloat and that momentum stayed on its side over the final 16 minutes. White scored all of his 11 points in the first half while adding five rebounds, four assists and three steals as well. White is a really crafty passer who led this offense with ease.
Best defensive performance: Jadyn Strawder (Strawberry Crest)
6’5″ sophomore forward Jadyn Strawder had a quiet night offensively with five points. But he made his presence known on the other end. Strawder contributed with seven rebounds, a block and a steal. This kid is very rangy and he’s playing focused basketball.
Best intangibles: Bryan Marucci (East Bay)
Bryan Marucci was the best thing for the Indians. The junior forward attacked throughout for his offense. He had a team-high 11 points including five in the final quarter. Marucci has good awareness underneath the basket.
Best under-the-radar performance: Antonio Hunt (East Bay)
Junior captain Antonio Hunt recorded eight points and four rebounds in this game. Hunt scored four points in the opening quarter and four more in the third. East Bay had moments of solid offense and when it got going, Hunt was at the forefront.
Best catch and shoot guy: Jalen Brown (Strawberry Crest)
All 15 of Jalen Brown’s points came off 3-pointers. The 5’7″ sophomore starter banked home six 3’s in this one as his team really put on a shooting display in the second half. Brown sank a 3-pointer right before the first half buzzer and caught fire in the fourth quarter as well. He also had five assists.
Best underclassmen: Romire Burke (Strawberry Crest)
Sophomore guard Romire Burke showed up quite a bit in this district tilt. He scored seven points including five in the first quarter. Burke is undersized at 5’9″, but he can shoot the ball well and uses his speed to get to the next level quite a bit.
Best attacker: Jordan White (Strawberry Crest)
Jordan White scored all 11 of his points in the first half. His brother Austin could have been put here, but Jordan attacked early and often and set the tone for Strawberry Crest. White has a chance to be a very good leader at the point in college. Division-II is a solid landing spot for him.
Best energy: Devante Campbell (East Bay)
Senior forward Devante Campbell only had three points on the night for the Indians. However, he brought a ton of life to his squad on the other end with five rebounds, a block and a steal. Campbell is a lengthy player who thrives as a 1-on-1 defender.
Best moment: Desmond Brown’s missed 3-pointer at the buzzer
Strawberry Crest emptied the bench with roughly two minutes left in the game. Ahead by a large margin, the offense was pretty much streetball. 5’7″ junior guard Desmond Brown rushed a couple shots down the stretch but nearly brought the crowd onto the floor in cheers after just missing a 3-pointer at the buzzer.