10 Best: Alonso vs. Newsome
In a Class 9A-District 6 Semifinal, Newsome prevailed with a 50-38 victory on Tuesday night. The Wolves avenged last season’s loss to Alonso in this exact game. Newsome (19-5) earned a 17-point night from senior guard Nick Stuck. The win…
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Continue ReadingIn a Class 9A-District 6 Semifinal, Newsome prevailed with a 50-38 victory on Tuesday night.
The Wolves avenged last season’s loss to Alonso in this exact game. Newsome (19-5) earned a 17-point night from senior guard Nick Stuck. The win propels them into Friday night’s district final at Sarasota Riverview
Alonso (14-12) led at the end of the first and third quarters. Senior forward Alex Jacovides led his group with 15 points.
Here are the top 10 performers from this matchup.
MVP: Nick Stuck (Newsome)
Every time I see Nick Stuck play, the more I’m impressed with his pure grittiness. He had 12 points at the break but failed to keep his offense afloat in the third quarter. Newsome had only three points in that quarter. In the fourth, he played a key role in the 21-8 run that put his team over the top. A game-high 17 points and plenty of highlight reel assists was nice to see from Stuck.
Best offensive performance: Alex Jacovides (Alonso)
Alex Jacovides was a problem for Newsome in the first half. He came out of the gates fired up with nine first quarter points. He finished with a team-high 15 points and certainly hit the majority of his shots early on. The senior gave it his all in the final high school game of his career.
Best defensive performance: Isaiah Islam (Newsome)
Junior wing Isaiah Islam did his part offensively with 10 points pacing Stuck. It was really his defense in this one that opened my eyes. Islam didn’t let anyone by him for most of the game and he came up with some nice blocks in the second half.
Best intangibles: Robert Gadson (Alonso)
Robert Gadson played a fine game for the Hawks. The senior big man had eight points and provided the best inside presence for his team. He hit a couple of very nice jumpers and found space down low at times.
Best under-the-radar performance: Tyler McKenna (Newsome)
A sophomore who is more of a baseball player than basketball player, Tyler McKenna scored four of his seven points in the fourth quarter. One of those buckets came on a Stuck miss that he grabbed a rebound and put back. The other was an assist from Stuck on a mid-range jumper. McKenna has a ton of energy.
Best catch and shoot guy: Nick Stuck (Newsome)
Stuck has very impressive handles which sticks out, but when he is fed the ball, he’s locked in. He connected on jumpers time and time again on catch and shoot situations.
Best worker: Christian De Leon (Alonso)
Sophomore Christian De Leon is undersized at 5’7″, but boy is he fast. He never stops going and his 12 points really kept Alonso around in this game. His maneuvering under the basket helps him at times but also puts his offense in bad situations. De Leon is maturing.
Best underclassmen: Logan Ortiz (Newsome)
The sophomore had himself a night on the boards. Logan Ortiz is a lengthy kid who is still growing into his 6’6″ frame. In this one, he came up big down low with key rebounds. He had only two points and missed a couple outside shots. But you can see the confidence growing for him.
Biggest moment: Jake Brazinski’s go-ahead 3-pointer
With 4:44, freshman guard Jake Brazinski scored his only points of the game. It was a 3-pointer from right in front of his team’s bench and gave them the 36-34 lead. The triple put Newsome ahead for good as it outscored Alonso 14-4 over the final stretch.
Best effort: Adam Cook/Rob Connelly (Newsome)
Seniors Adam Cook and Rob Connelly each scored five points. A pair of 3’s came for both of them as well as one jumper. Cook has a nice knack for finding open space outside while Connelly isn’t afraid to attack when called upon.