Ten Best: 4A State Championship – FW North Side at Ben Davis
Game Recap: Fort Wayne North Side at Ben Davis Final Score: Fort Wayne North Side 52 – Ben Davis 55 In the 4A IHSAA State Championship Game, two teams faced-off that had different play styles and strengths. The expectation was…
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Continue ReadingGame Recap: Fort Wayne North Side at Ben Davis
Final Score: Fort Wayne North Side 52 – Ben Davis 55
In the 4A IHSAA State Championship Game, two teams faced-off that had different play styles and strengths. The expectation was that whoever could play their style with the least number of turnovers, would control the outcome of the game. In the end, neither team seemed to find their flow on the offensive end of the floor and neither really limited their turnovers. It was a grind-it-out type game.
The first quarter set the tone for the rest of the game. Neither team was in a flow early and it proved to be that way for the remainder of the game. North Side enjoyed a 13-9 lead heading into the second quarter behind a strong effort by Juan Quarles. The second quarter was much of the same as the Giants trailed 27-23 heading into the half already battling foul trouble.
The third quarter started to change the face of the game. North Side struggled more and more on the offensive end and Ben Davis got a few easy baskets in transition. Jalen Windham gave productive minutes off-the-bench while Aaron Henry sat with foul trouble. Ben Davis held North Side to 9 third quarter points and trailed by only 1 heading into the final quarter, 36-35.
The fourth quarter was the most offensive one that we saw tonight, a combined 36 points were scored in the final eight minutes of the high school season. Behind Harper and Brewer, Ben Davis was able to take the lead and hold off the Legends. Ben Davis finished of North Side 55-52, winning the fourth quarter 20-16.
The Ben Davis Giants are the Class 4A IHSAA State Champions for 2016-2017.
MVP: Datrion Harper (Ben Davis)
This game didn’t seem to have one single player that completely carried either team or dominated in any way. The game was well balanced and everyone that played, contributed in some way. Harper seemed to be the guy making the plays down the stretch in this one. Harper finished with 14 points (4-6 2FG, 1-3 3FG, and 3-5 FT), 5 rebounds (4 defensive and 1 offensive), 4 assists, and 2 steals. Datrion was the life and energy of this team tonight and his scrappy style helped seal the deal for the Giants.
Best Offensive Performance: Jalen Windham (Ben Davis)
Jalen Windham may have come off-the-bench in this one but he was instant offense. His first offensive possession was a fade-away three from the wing that dropped and from that point on, he was aggressive on the offensive end. Windham finished with a game-high 15 points (1-2 2FG, 3-5 3FG, and 4-4 FT), 4 rebounds (2 defensive and 2 offensive), 1 assist, and 1 block. Although he didn’t explode in the scoring department, he stretched the floor for Harper and Henry to drive to the basket in the second half.
Best Defensive Performance: Jaylen Butz (FW North Side)
Jaylen Butz was the biggest player on the floor by at least 5 inches. He used his length and athleticism to bother shots around the rim and pull down rebounds on both ends of the floor. Butz finished with 11 points (4-6 2FG and 3-5 FT), a game-high 18 rebounds (14 defensive and 4 offensive), 4 assists, 2 steals, and a game-high 3 blocks. Jaylen was one of the biggest players that Ben Davis had seen this season and he really caused some issues down low around the basket on both ends of the floor.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Aaron Henry (Ben Davis)
Aaron Henry had it going early but ran into some foul trouble that put a damper on his productivity. Early on he was settling for the mid-range jumper but eventually found his way to the basket and finished well with both hands. He finished with 12 points (6-9 2FG and 0-2 FT), 4 rebounds (3 defensive and 1 offensive), 3 assists, and 1 steal. Henry was the go to player for Ben Davis on offense down the stretch and he delivered, especially in the open court.
Best Player Off-The-Bench: Davontae Kinnie (FW North Side)
North Side has had a couple different starting line-ups this season and even though Kinnie wasn’t in the starting group tonight, he played starters minutes. This has been the case all season long. Davontae has always been one of the guards in the game come clutch time. He finished with 10 points (3-4 2FG, 1-2 3FG, and 1-3 FT), 3 rebounds (2 defensive and 1 offensive), 5 assists, and 2 steals. Kinnie made some big shots late in the game that kept the Legends close which is uncharacteristic of him but he has been working on his jump shot throughout his career.
Best Passer: Juan Quarles (FW North Side)
Juan Quarles has been an under-the-radar type player for the Legends all season long. He was a major reason that this team made it this far into the post season and had a 27-3 season. Juan finished with 11 points (4-4 2FG and 1-4 3FG), 5 rebounds (4 defensive and 1 offensive), and a team-tying-high 5 assists. Juan’s ability to stretch the floor opened the driving lanes for Johnson and Kinnie, which lead to easy baskets. Quarles was also able to dump it off to Butz and Brooks Jr. down low for some easy baskets around the rim. Juan’s high basketball IQ showed in this game.
Best Intangibles: RJ Turner (Ben Davis)
RJ Turner had his fingerprints all over this game. The biggest play of the game was his offensive rebound on a free-throw when he was the shooter and there were four North Side players around. He chased down the miss and put it up for two points. Turner finished with 5 points (2-4 2FG and 1-2 FT), 4 rebounds (2 defensive and 2 offensive), 3 assists, and a game-high 4 steals. His activity on both ends created opportunities for his teammates. He brought Jaylen Butz away from the basket on the offensive end of the floor to open the driving lanes for his teammates.
Best Rebounder: Jaylen Butz (FW North Side)
Being the biggest on the floor definitely helped Butz rebound the ball in this game but his pursuit of missed shots, his strength and athleticism, and soft hands all contribute to his elite rebounding ability. Butz finished with 11 points (4-6 2FG and 3-5 FT), a game-high 18 rebounds (14 defensive and 4 offensive), 4 assists, 2 steals, and a game-high 3 blocks. His ability to land and go right back up really helps him high point rebounds and keep them high. He is a not a big that brings the ball down to his waist when he rebounds and has the strength to throw the outlet pass from above his head down the floor.
Best Underclassmen: Keion Brooks Jr. (FW North Side)
Keion Brooks Jr. may have struggled in this contest, but this is not the last that we see of him. Brooks Jr. has the ability to score from all three levels with ease, finish above the rim with the best of them, and guard positions one through four on defense. He is still growing and working on his skills but he is one of the highest ranked sophomores in the nation. Brooks Jr. finished with 8 points (2-5 2FG, 1-5 3FG, and 1-2 FT), 6 rebounds (5 defensive and 1 offensive), 3 assists, and 1 steal.
Biggest Takeaway: Free-Throws and Turnovers
The Legends did a great job of getting the ball down low and drawing fouls early in the game but did not capitalize on their opportunities from the charity strike. As a team, they shot 7-20 (35%) from the free-throw line, that will not win many basketball games. Ben Davis also did a great job of ball control and limiting the number of fast break opportunities that North Side got. If North Side could have cleaned up a few of their possessions and knocked down a few more free-throws over the course of the game, this would have been a double-digit victory for the Legends instead of a loss. Ben Davis did everything they needed to in order to pull of the championship win.