10 Best: Jesuit vs. Tampa Catholic
The game lived up to the hype as Tampa Catholic defeated visiting Jesuit 82-72 on Friday night. In front of a sold out crowd, Jesuit never held a lead but erased a 19-point third quarter deficit to trim the game…
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Continue ReadingThe game lived up to the hype as Tampa Catholic defeated visiting Jesuit 82-72 on Friday night.
In front of a sold out crowd, Jesuit never held a lead but erased a 19-point third quarter deficit to trim the game to five points with one minute left. However, Kevin Knox made clutch free throws to put the game on ice.
Senior Kevin Knox led the Crusaders (19-5) with 26 points while Stevie Darst scored a game-high 30 points for the Tigers (20-4).
Here are the top 10 performers from this matchup.
MVP: Tai Strickland (Tampa Catholic)
Tai Strickland was happy to earn his chance. With Knox being double teamed often in the second and third quarter of play, Strickland routinely took the ball to the rack with good results. He scored 23 points and returned to the game after going down awkwardly due to a leg injury. Strickland played his most complete game in a while.
Best offensive performance: Stevie Darst (Jesuit)
Jesuit senior Stevie Darst passed the 1,000 point mark last month. On Friday, he broke his single-game record with a 30-point performance. Most impressively, Darst did this while battling a leg injury that took him out of the game for a good portion of the second half. This kid is a warrior.
Best defensive performance: Kevin Knox (Tampa Catholic)
Kevin Knox may have led his team in scoring with 26 points, but it was his defensive prowess that slowed his opponent down. The senior was being watched by FSU and Kentucky coaches sitting baseline. Knox was taken out of the game at times offensively, but he posted 12 rebounds and never quit.
Best intangibles: Messiah Turner (Tampa Catholic)
That is perhaps the best I’ve seen Messiah Turner play all season. The junior guard had 14 points. He hit from outside, drove to the basket often and made the most of his time on the floor. The best play from was his steal of Darst in transition and then full court pass to Alijah Harrison for two points.
Best under-the-radar performance: Thierry Moliere (Jesuit)
Thierry Moliere had a dunk in transition and a couple of really nice moves to the basket. The Jesuit junior had 14 points in this one. He could have easily had more if he didn’t miss a couple of his shots. It was a nice performance from him.
Best catch and shoot guy: Lucas Uzdavinis (Jesuit)
11 points on the night for senior forward Lucas Uzdavinis. When he catches fire, it is hard to slow down the spot up shooter. He hit a couple 3’s in this one, but it was hard to find space against the athletic Tampa Catholic group.
Best worker: Tim Carter (Tampa Catholic)
For junior guards around Tampa, Tim Carter is one that is simply smooth. He had five points in this game, but his hustle on the boards and ability to play lockdown defense stood out.
Best underclassmen: Alijah Harrison (Tampa Catholic)
Alijah Harrison earned “he’s a freshman” chants from the home crowd all night long. He scored 11 points which included some nice dishes inside from his teammates. Harrison hit a 3-pointer and showed off his range a little bit more in this game.
Best energy: Nick Weir/Will Anderson (Jesuit)
Between the two, the Jesuit duo had only three points. However, junior guard Nick Weir and senior forward Will Anderson never stopped battling. Weir had a 3-pointer in the first half and Anderson struggled with foul trouble. The two did a nice job at taking Knox out of the game at times.
Best effort: Tyson Dunn (Jesuit)
Normally Tyson Dunn is money from 3-point land. Tonight his shots weren’t falling, but he continued to play hard. The Jesuit senior finished with nine points which included a 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter where he drew a foul.