TOC: Ten Best from Wright City vs Sperry
In the first game of the day at the Tournament of Champions, the small schools came out ready to play. Wright City and Sperry played a tightly contested first half as Wright City led by one point at the half. Wright City came out on fire after the half and Sperry could not catch a break. Wright City went on to beat Sperry 64-51 in the battle of the small schools.
MVP: Robert Briley 2018 Wright City Wing
Robert Briley was dominant in this consolation semi-final matchup. While in the first half he did not score that many points he was all over the court. He played well in the paint and came down with a plethora of rebounds. Briley finished the game with a double-double with 18 points and 18 rebounds. Briley is the best player on the Lumberjax squad and continued to show why today. If Briley can continue his hot streak, Wright City will be one of the best teams in Class 2A. Briley will look to continue his success in the Tournament of Champions in the Consolation Finals.
Offensive MVP: Dalyn Burrell 2018 Wright City Guard
Dalyn Burrell was on fire from the court today. He showed his ability to score at all levels and got hot from deep, shooting 5-9 from deep. Burrell finished the game with 19 points and 4 rebounds and was a huge part of why Wright City was able to extend their lead in the second half. Burrell is a streaky shooter with a good stroke from distance and as long as he is on fire like he was today, his stock will be rising.
Defensive MVP: CJ Briley 2019 Wright City Guard
The sweep of the MVP awards goes to Wright City. CJ Briley was huge on the defensive side of the ball for Wright City. CJ has length and uses it well to make his opponents have to shoot over him. After halftime, Wright City was playing tough defense led by CJ and forced Sperry into turnovers. Wright City forced Sperry into 13 turnovers on the night. If CJ Briley and the rest of Wright City can play as well defensively as they did against Sperry, they will be able to hang with any team in Class 2A.
Best Coaching Decision: The Wright City Halftime Speech
Going into halftime Wright City only led by one point. Whatever, Wright City Head Coach, Joel Dickerson said at halftime worked. The Lumberjax came out playing suffocating defense and jumped out to a double-digit lead in the third quarter. Sperry was never able to recover from the deficit and it led to the victory in the consolation semi-finals for Wright City.
Under the Radar Performance: Jaxon Vancuren 2018 Sperry Guard
Jaxon Vancuren may not be the star at Sperry, but he plays his role well. Vancuren is a glue-guy for Sperry and does all the things that do not show up on a stat sheet. He came out and put on a performance for the Pirates and at times kept them in the game. He played his part to a tee and finished the night with 11 points and 4 rebounds. Vancuren also showed leadership qualities and composure when Sperry fell behind. Vancuren will play a pivotal part in any success that Sperry has this season.
Best Aspect of the Environment: The Tournament of Champions
Teams from all over the state dream of playing in the Tournament of Champions. Teams travel far and wide just to watch the teams that are in the Tournament of Champions. This aspect gives players an extra motivation to perform at high levels throughout the tournament and puts on a show. The intensity in the game between Wright City and Sperry was that of a State Tournament game. The game showed that class does not matter as Wright City took down Sperry.
The Spirit Award: Jace Pratt 2018 Sperry Guard
Jace Pratt was a warrior on the court today. Pratt is one of the best shooters in all classes in the state of Oklahoma. He has in the gym range but has struggled to find his shot at the Tournament of Champions. He has shown flashes of his ability but his shot just has not fallen like it normally does. Pratt has not let this discourage him as he continues to play hard. He has distributed the ball well and continued to shoot. If Pratt can find his shot, he is capable of putting up big numbers. Pratt and Sperry will look to rebound in the seventh-place game against Ringwood.