10 Best: Ida Baker at Ft. Myers
On Monday night, the FHSAA basketball regular season began.
I was at Ft. Myers High where the Green Wave just got by a visiting Ida Baker squad that came to play. Ft. Myers won 83-78.
Ida Baker trailed 57-56 at the end of the third quarter after fighting back. Ft. Myers eventually pulled away late.
Senior guards Stephen Hawkins and Corey Friar finished with 31 and 29 points respectively for the Bulldogs. Senior forward Reshah Gabriel led Ft. Myers with 23 points while junior guard Michael Roberts scored 15.
Here are the top 10 performers from the matchup.
MVP: Reshah Gabriel (Ft. Myers)
14 of Gabriel’s team-best 23 points came in the first half. He was the most reliable offensive player for the Green Wave in both halves. He took the ball to the rack with force and had a big jumper and free throw to close the game out. The senior has to have games like that to keep Ft. Myers in the win column. His inside presence is beyond important.
Best offensive performance: Stephen Hawkins/Corey Friar (Ida Baker)
Hawkins never stopped pushing the ball up the floor and beating his defenders. Friar did more of the same, but his physical style of basketball is very awesome to watch. When Hawkins was out of the game or not making too many baskets, Friar rose the occasion. The opposite can be said for Hawkins when Friar was out. Hawkins had a game-best 31 points with five 3’s and Friar had 29 points with three 3’s.
Best defensive performance: Nerbenski Celus (Ft. Myers)
Celus had seven points to help on the offensive side of things, but he had to do everything and more to slow down the tandem of Hawkins and Friar. At times it was tough, but he won battles throughout the night despite what the final stats show. Celus is going to be the most reliable inside presence on defense for Ft. Myers.
Best intangibles: Corey Friar (Ida Baker)
Friar was basically unstoppable in the second half. In the third quarter alone, the senior had 12 points. Then, in the fourth quarter, he put on nine more. Friar attacked the paint, made gritty jumpers and made life tough for Ft. Myers. Any coaches looking for a crafty and strong 6’2″ guard, look no further than Friar.
Best catch and shoot guy: Stephen Hawkins (Ida Baker)
Hawkins was double teamed most of the night adding to some turnovers, but when he found open space, he made sure he produced. Hawkins has a nasty ball fake that keeps defenders off and it works best when he is passed the ball to on long deep shots.
Best under-the-radar performance: Blake Donnelly (Ida Baker)
Here me out, junior guard Blake Donnelly had a key role in keeping this game close. Yes, he only had seven points, six coming on 3’s, but he hustled and hit his open shots. At one point in the fourth quarter, he connected on a 3-pointer and then came up with a steal and had a great pass in transition for two.
Best worker: Matt Galdine (Ft. Myers)
All eight of Galdine’s points came in the first half. He made his impact earlier and couldn’t hit his long jumpers in the third or fourth quarter. However, Galdine battled all night and made things happen for the Ft. Myers offensive push. He is a sound player to have off the bench.
Biggest moment: Late fourth quarter push by Ida Baker
Ida Baker trailed late in the game, but Friar found his stroke and couldn’t be stopped. He went to the rack for two and got his bench pumped up. Then, the senior drilled a long two right in front of his team’s bench, drawing a foul. This five point swing kept the Bulldogs alive, but Ft. Myers proved to be too much down the stretch.
Best effort: Jake Cox (Ft. Myers)
The crafty senior produced 14 points in this one. He started off slow but went on to put up 12 points in the second half. A strong and smart point guard, Cox connected on big shots, dished out important assistants and led his team on the break more often than not. This kid is the leader of this offense.
Best freshman: Javian McCollum (Ft. Myers)
At this time last year, McCollum was playing 8th grade ball. He came into the game late in the first quarter and played a crucial role as the point man. He hit two 3’s on good looks in the opening quarter. The freshman hit 4-of-6 free throws in the fourth quarter to give himself 10 on the night. McCollum makes smart decisions with the ball and is dripping with upside.