Five Takeaways: Bellevue (75) vs. Pinnacle (73)
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Game Recap: Bellevue vs. Pinnacle
The atmosphere at this game was electric. Bellevue came out early and knocked down shots Pinnacle started to do the same. The first quarter was in favor of the Pinnacle but the second quarter was a different story. Bellevue came back and took the lead into the break and Pinnacle’s offense was struggling to find good looks. In the third quarter, the game returned to more of what the first quarter offered, offense. Bellevue managed to survive a few scoring runs by Pinnacle. The score was close heading into the final frame in favor of Bellevue. Bellevue brought their composure and play-making abilities to the table in the fourth quarter and came away with the win.
Freshman Standouts
Both teams have standout freshman that find themselves in the starting lineup. Hudson Hansen of Bellevue came out strong last night with Hudson had good size and length on the wing for a young player and can get hot in a hurry from deep. As the season goes on, he will become one of their better options on offense. Pinnacle has Marcus Libman coming off the bench giving a spark. Marcus is creative with the ball in his hands and is a great passer when he gets in the lane. He will continue to get better with experience as he become a better decision maker. His effort level and composure are there on both ends of the floor and when he gets it going offensively, he’s tough to stop.
Nico Mannion All-Around Game
Nico has started to come into his own. He completely dominated the game this night and aside from a short stint in the third quarter where he was dealing with a little foul trouble. Bellevue had a hard time keeping him out of the lane and he finished at the basket at an elite level. Nico uses his change of speed to get defenders off balance and has a lighting quick first step. He left his mark on every single possession and was unstoppable on either end. His quickness and agility lead to easy baskets in the open court in transition. Keep an eye on Nico Mannion with Pinnacle as he looks to lead this team to a surprisingly strong season.
Andrew Kenny’s Dominating Second and Fourth Quarter
Andrew Kenny with Bellevue has proved that he has the ability to finish games down the stretch. Kenny stepped up late in the game and helped the team make the plays they needed to when they needed to. Jalen Love and Luke Metter didn’t have outstanding games but they made some key plays on the defensive end to help the team extend their lead. Luke Metter made a couple put backs in the fourth quarter to help extend the lead. Head Coach Chris O’Connor has his team buying in to do what it takes to be successful. Without much experience making plays late in games, they seem to have the guys ready to step up and take big shots.
Pinnacle’s Inability to Score in the Lane
Pinnacle lived and died with the three-ball last night. They struggled getting into the lane on a consistent basis and were looking to get bailed out with the foul call when they did. Pinnacle are guard heavy and they have the ability to get hot from deep. They beat Bellevue in the first and third quarters because they got hot from deep and made little runs. Most of their scoring came in spurts and they would find themselves in long droughts without getting a good look at the basket. If they can become more consistent with their movement on offense, they will be a much better offensive team. Pinnacle has the scoring ability but not the discipline to get good looks every possession.
Bellevue’s Early Season Success and Pinnacle’s Early Season Struggles
Bellevue has gotten off to a great start this season when most had thought they’d struggle early on. They graduated a couple of their playmakers last year who all went on to play college basketball but they’ve got some upperclassmen who are stepping up and leading. Kenny, Metter, Hansen and love will be huge for them for the remainder of the season and if they can get consistent play and leadership from them, the younger guys will feed off it and follow suit. Pinnacle, on the other hand, has struggled to get it going this year. Their inconsistency on defense plays into their willingness to get stops on defense. When things are going well and the ball is going in the basket, they look like a great defensive team as well, but when things aren’t going their way, the wheels fall off.