10 Best: Perry Hall vs Milford Mill
Photo Credit: Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun Last night in SECU Arena of Towson University, the Perry Hall Gators captured their first Baltimore County Championship in school history by defeating the Milford Mill Millers 70-57. The win improves Perry Hall’s overall record…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingPhoto Credit: Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun
Last night in SECU Arena of Towson University, the Perry Hall Gators captured their first Baltimore County Championship in school history by defeating the Milford Mill Millers 70-57. The win improves Perry Hall’s overall record to 21-2 overall while Milford Mill falls to 15-6.
MVP| Anthony Higgs| Perry Hall ’18
Anthony Higgs finished with a game-high 16 points as he led the Gator offense in the victory. At 6’7″ with a long frame, his size was simply too much for Milford Mill. Whether it was in transition or in the half court, Higgs was a consistent threat whenever he touched the ball. The Millers struggled to keep him out of the paint as they play a smaller, more athletic lineup.
Best Offensive Performance| Laquill Hardnett| Perry Hall ’18
Laquill Hardnett is usually the guy who controls the game for Perry Hall. Like Higgs, Hardnett is 6’7″ but plays more of a point forward role and initiates plenty of fast break opportunities and even gets the team in certain sets. He finished with 14 points, but his ability to drive and find the open man resulted in a plethora of lay ups for Perry Hall. Since Milford Mill didn’t have anyone to counteract his size, Hardnett was dissected the defense with ease because of his height.
Best Defensive Performance| Laquill Hardnett| Perry Hall ’18
Coming into this game, Milford Mill’s main scorer, Ugo Obasi, had been by far the biggest offensive threat. Hardnett was matched up against him on defense denying him the ball for the majority of the contest. Obasi was limited to eight points. Five of which came off a kick-out three and an offensive rebound. Hardnett’s length bothered Obasi’s ability to get his shot off comfortably, which played a monumental factor in the win.
Best Play
As the Gators began to separate themselves in the second quarter, an alley-oop from Fredo Carter to Higgs was the highlight of Perry Hall’s 10-0 run. It helped the Gators build more momentum and confidence as time went on as well as ignite the crowd.
Best Under The Radar Performance| Jawan Smith| Milford Mill ’18
When Obasi fouled out with six minutes to go, Jawan Smith stepped up in attempt to keep the Millers within reach. At 6’4,” Smith had to battle against Higgs and Hardnett on the glass all night, and his hustle helped spark the Millers to pull within 10. Smith finished with eight points.
Best Player Off The Bench| James Rider| Perry Hall ’17
James Rider is usually a routine starter for Perry Hall, but head coach George Panageotou used his 6’3″ scorer as an energy boost off the bench that seemed to work to perfection. Rider finished with 11 points and also make a few steals that lead to fast break points.
Best Catch-And-Shoot Guy| Aaron Butler Jr.| Perry Hall ’17
Aaron Butler Jr. finished the game with 10 points, but in a game that consisted of countless drives to the basket, he kept the defense honest with his shooting abilities even though he wasn’t necessarily lights out. Perry Hall was down early in the first quarter before a Butler Jr. transition three helped get them back into the game. His presence forced his man to be cautious of how much space he allowed him to have when in help position.
Photo Credit: Llyod Fox/Baltimore Sun
Best Intangibles| Tyler Holley| Perry Hall ’18
Tyler Holley is Perry Hall’s swiss army knife. While other players have distinct roles, Holley’s athleticism and length at 6’4″ helps him impact defensively, rebounding, or being a high-flyer out in the open floor. All of this was on display last night as he finished with 11 points. Holley found himself on the finishing end of a lob in the first half, but was called for a technical for hanging on the rim despite a number of players being directly below him. His energy was key in setting the tone and came into play as he played the top position in their 3-2 zone.
Pivotal Point Of The Game
In the second quarter, Perry Hall outscored Milford Mill 24-8. This was after leading by just one after the first quarter. The Gators used a 10-o run by forcing the Millers into taking bad shots and stepping in front of bad passes. After taking a double-digit lead going into halftime, the Gators never looked back despite the Millers late push in the fourth to when they cut the lead to 10.
Moving Forward
Perry Hall earned a first-round bye in 4A regional play after being selected as the no. 1 seed. They’ll play the winner of Parkville and Bel Air on February 28. Milford Mill will face Landsdowne as their first-round opponent Thursday as they begin their journey through 3A regional play.