Reliving 25 Memorable Performances: 5-1
With a week-plus off for the holiday break, what better time is there to look back on some of the most memorable performances of the past decade? I’ve been closely following high school basketball in the state of Iowa since my time in high school (graduating in 2007), and over the next week, I’ll be unveiling 25 of the best performances I’ve had a chance to witness, either as a team or individuals. The list will be more individual performance centered, and please note that prior to my hiring at Prep Hoops Iowa, I saw every Iowa City West game for five years, going to other games on evenings they weren’t playing. I look forward to continuing to be able to add performances to this list as the years go on. Without further ado, here are memorable performances Nos. 5 thru 1.
5.) Tyler Borchers erupts for 35 points, 19 rebounds in double overtime semifinal win against Williamsburg (March 12, 2015)
Another state tournament performance lands on the list, and for good reason. LeMars big man Tyler Borchers is a huge reason the Bulldogs played for the 2015 3A title, carrying them to the championship game with this performance. He was a bull throughout the course of the entire double overtime contest, but was especially strong late in the contest en route to 35 points and 19 rebounds. He had nine points and six rebounds in the pair of overtimes, putting an exclamation point on the win with a powerful dunk with just a few seconds left in the second overtime to seal the win and set up a meeting with Dubuque Wahlert.
4.) Amry Shelby scores 41 in substate final (March 2, 2009)
To be honest, this is the performance that randomly popped into my head a few weeks ago that spurred this whole project. The senior Marion guard had an unbelievable night in a substate final win over Mount Pleasant at the US Cellular Center (Cedar Rapids), sending the Indians to the state tournament for the first time in 57 years. Shelby scored 41 points on 14-18 shooting, went 12-14 from the line and added four assists and three steals. He was impossible to keep out of the paint, routinely getting to the rim to either score or dish for his teammates. He was a menace on the defensive end, flying all over the floor and causing problems for the Panthers, and he was just downright fun to watch on this night. The only problem I have with this performance, still to this day, is that Marion coach Mike Manderscheid didn’t take him out so he could get the standing ovation he deserved, despite leading by eight late in the game. The only sour spot in this unreal game for Shelby, who went on to play at Division II Wayne State.
3.) Will Carius scores 34 of Pleasant Valley’s 48 in semifinal loss (March 11, 2016)
Will Carius saved arguably his best two games for his final two of his career, including this one in a brutal semifinal loss to eventual champion West Des Moines Valley. Carius had a nice first half, scoring 10 of his team’s 11 points and grabbing three rebounds. Then he did something amazing in the second half, scoring 24 of his game-high 34 points, including going a perfect 6-6 from the arc and 6-7 from the free throw line. Each 3 seemed like it was coming from deeper than the last, and he nearly willed his team to a championship game appearance. It was a trying year for the wing who is now at Northern Michigan, after he lost his mother to breast cancer, but he saved back-to-back 34 point showings for this semifinal and the third place game. Long known for his prowess and physicality around the rim, the outburst from deep that he showed in the tournament was another added dimension to the game of one of the best players I’ve had the privilege of covering.
2.) A.J. Green and Jordan Bohannon’s substate final duel (March 2, 2016)
I mentioned in the first installment that last year’s Benton/Center Point-Urbana game was one of the best I’ve seen, but this game topped it. Both of these teams were capable of making a run at state because of their stars, and neither of them disappointed. Then-sophomore A.J. Green went shot-for-shot with Jordan Bohannon late in the fourth quarter and overtime before ultimately hitting the game winner on a pretty little stepback. Trailing by six entering the fourth quarter, Bohannon scored 16 points, hitting a number of NBA range 3s to bring the Lions back and send the game to overtime. Overtime was almost entirely Green and Bohannon going back-and-forth, with Bohannon scoring nine of his game-high 44 points, and Green scoring 11 of his 31 in the extra period. Notice that Green outscored Bohannon by two in the OT? It was the difference, sending Cedar Falls to state and helping A.J. Green continue to build his reputation around the state as a cold-blooded assassin.
1.) Marcus has a night to remember (February 28, 2012)
As I mentioned in the first part of this series, there was one performance that I didn’t have the chance to see live – it’s this one. My dad and I had been in Muscatine watching Iowa City West punch their ticket to state against Bettendorf, and were fortunate enough to find this game on the radio on the way back. We tuned in as Linn-Mar was trailing by eight with 30 seconds left in regulation. Then Marcus Paige went nuts. He got fouled on a 3 and made a pair of them. Kennedy hit a free throw to push it to seven, Paige came down and hit a 3 and got fouled. Boom. Three-point game. Kennedy turns it over, and Paige gets it back with 17 seconds left. He drills a 3 to tie the game and send it to overtime. Nine points in 30 seconds to bring Linn-Mar back. (Linn-Mar went on to win in double overtime, 83-77, sending the Lions to state for the ninth straight year). It was at this point that I knew I had to get my hands on a copy of this tape to see it for myself (thank you to Elliott Christians’ dad for that). I wasn’t even fully aware of what Marcus had done the rest of the night. He scored 49 points on 14-24 shooting (6-10 from 3), and also hit 15 of 19 free throws. As I watched the tape about a week later, I was stunned. I’ve never seen a player do anything like this, and probably never will again. We all saw what Marcus Paige did during his collegiate career at North Carolina, and I’m so glad I had the chance to watch him play in high school. I’ve gone back and watched this game a number of times, not just because of Paige, but because this was a fantastic game. But nothing will rival that finish for a long, long time.