Ten Best: Holiday Hoops Tournament – Championship Game
Game Recap: Holiday Hoops Tournament Championship Final Score: HSE 83 – Merrillville 75 This game started at a frantic pace. In the first quarter alone there were 45 points scored combined but that was not how the remainder of the…
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Continue ReadingGame Recap: Holiday Hoops Tournament Championship
Final Score: HSE 83 – Merrillville 75
This game started at a frantic pace. In the first quarter alone there were 45 points scored combined but that was not how the remainder of the game went. Merrillville came out hot from the floor making their first 8 shots. Jonah Jackson was hot from deep and had 3 three-pointers in the first quarter to pace Merrillville. HSE took a 23-22 lead into the second quarter behind a strong performance from Zach Gunn. Gunn continued to lead the HSE in the second quarter as they took a 36-33 lead into the half. Mileek McMillan pitched in a good first half effort for Merrillville as well.
Coming out in the third quarter, HSE did more of the same. Gunn was having a tremendous scoring performance and really rebounded the ball well for his team. Teammate Aaron Etherington got involved in the action and had himself a good second half as well. HSE was up 56-48 headed into the fourth quarter.
Cameron Wilbon came out of the woodwork for Merrillville in the fourth quarter and did everything he could to will his team back into the game. Gunn, Smith, and Etherington proved to be too much overcome and HSE took the Championship game 83-75. Hamilton Southeastern and Merrillville both posted 27 points in the final quarter.
MVP: Zach Gunn (HSE)
Gunn was fantastic in the Championship game of the Holiday Hoops Tournament. Gunn had a good tournament overall but was able to put it all together in the most important contest. Gunn also broke the all-time rebounding record at HSE in the Semi-Final game against Huntington North. Zach finished with a game high 30 points (6-10 2FG, 4-7 3FG, and 6-7 FT), a game high 15 rebounds (10 defensive and 5 offensive), 3 blocks, and 1 assist. The Royals needed this kind of performance from him to pull out the Championship win over Merrillville and he delivered.
Best Offensive Performance: Zach Gunn (HSE)
Not only was he the highest scorer in the game, Gunn was also efficient with his touches. He finished the game shooting 60% from inside the arc, 57% from deep, and 86% from the free-throw line. This was a great performance from HSE’s big man. Gunn also added 5 offensive rebounds and an assist in the contest. This was a great offensive performance from Zach, even when he wasn’t scoring, Gunn was drawing attention from Merrillville’s defense.
Best Defensive Performance: Mileek McMillan (Merrillville)
Mileek McMillan didn’t get involved early in this contest for Merrillville but ended up having a big impact on the defensive end of the floor. McMillan finished with 5 defensive rebounds, a game high 4 blocks, and pitched in 2 steals. His length and athleticism deterred some drives to the basket by the Royals and he bothered even more shots that did go up. Out of the 4 blocked shots, he ended up making 3 of them defensive rebounds as well. McMillan finished with 15 points (7-9 2FG and 1-2 FT) in the contest as well.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Cameron Wilbon (Merrillville)
Wilbon was slow out of the gate and wasn’t really looking for his shot early in the game. He only had 6 points at the break. He never really got himself going until the 4th quarter in the scoring column but did a lot of other things to help his team out in the first 3 quarters. Cameron finished with 21 points (5-9 2FG, 3-3 3FG, and 2-2 FT), 8 rebounds (7 defensive and 1 offensive), 7 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocked shots. Wilbon was very effective in the 4th quarter where he hit all three of his triples and was 2-3 from inside the arc. They could have used that aggressiveness earlier in the game.
Best Player Off-The-Bench: Nick Bowman (HSE)
Nick Bowman came off-the-bench and immediately had an impact on the game. Bowman came in and got back-to-back layups on the break and pitched in an assist too. His impact was immediately felt in a game that was dominated by starters for both teams. Bowman finished with 6 points (3-5 2FG), 3 rebounds (1 defensive and 2 offensive), and 1 assist. Although his stat line wasn’t outstanding, Bowman did was the Royals needed him to do to help them win the Championship game.
Best Shooter: Jonah Jackson (Merrillville)
Jonah Jackson drew attention in warmups. Jackson went through his warmup progression with game like intensity and intentions to do the same come game time. He came out of the gate geared up and ready to go. Jackson started out 3-3 from deep and immediately got labeled as “the shooter” by the entire HSE bench. Jackson finished with 18 points (1-2 2FG, 5-7 3FG, and 1-2 FT), 2 defensive rebounds, and 1 assist for Merrillville. His stroke was pure and he was face-guarded for the final three quarters of action.
Best Intangibles: Aaron Etherington (HSE)
Aaron Etherington was moved in and out of the starting lineup during this tournament for HSE. Although his playing time was not consistent, Etherington’s play was. He used his athleticism and length well in this game as well as shooting it well from deep. Etherington has a good basketball IQ and boxes out well for an underclassmen. Ehterington finished with 16 points (2-3 2FG, 4-5 3FG, and 0-1 FT), 3 rebounds (2 defensive and 1 offensive), 5 assists. Etherington sees the floor well for a sophomore forward and will be a key player for HSE moving forward.
Best Rebounder: Zach Gunn (HSE)
Gunn did it all for Hamilton Southeastern. Zach is now the All-Time Leading Rebounder in HSE history. He continued the dominance into the Championship game where he finished with a game high 15 rebounds (10 defensive and 5 offensive). His basketball smarts, soft hands, length, and athleticism allowed him to lead the game in rebounds. These characteristics are what also lead him to having the most rebounds in HSE history as well.
Best Underclassmen: Noah Smith (HSE)
Noah Smith didn’t get many scoring opportunities but was an exceptional asset to the Royals in their Championship win. Smith was great throughout the tournament filling up multiple categories in the stat sheet. They don’t look for him to do much scoring as of now but he does lead them as a point guard. Noah finished with 8 points (2-4 2FG and 4-4 FT), 6 rebounds (3 defensive and 3 offensive), a game high 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in the win. He is also HSE’s best defender.
Biggest Takeaway: Gunn Took-Over
This game was really in the hands of Zach Gunn for HSE. They looked for him to lead them through just about everything. He was the leading scorer and rebounder and his talents really bothered Merrillville. HSE won the assist battle by 6 and seemed to be getting their shots easier and more open. Their offense was great in the Championship game and behind Gunn’s 30-point outing, HSE took home the Holiday Hoops hardware.