Drew Tennial nets 25 against Southmoore
No. 5 Edmond Memorial’s Drew Tennial (6’5″ W) did it all Tuesday night in his 25-point show. He had a few 3-pointers, a couple circus shots, and a dunk. He penetrated the lane and overpowered the Southmoore defense. Most importantly, Tennial walked out of Southmoore’s gym with a near-twenty-point victory over No. 7 Southmoore.
(Quick hits: explosive scorer, size, shot selection, dominant inside defender)
This summer, he elevated his stock. In our most recent player rankings, we rated him as the No. 5 player in the Oklahoma 2019 class.
In the first showing of his senior season, Tennial lived up to the hype he’s received. He led his team on both ends of the floor and was the most valuable player for the Bulldogs in their 65-47 win over Southmoore.
Tennial is the type of player that wears down on a defense, as he showed against Southmoore. His offensive production isn’t reliant on one facet of his game, for he has the ability to impact the game from anywhere on the floor.
He got things done initially by driving into the lane and drawing fouls. Once his inside scoring became less impactful, he opened the lane up for himself again by knocking down a pair of back-to-back 3-pointers, first off of a dribble, then from the corner from a pass.
Tennial also laid down a pair of big dunks to add on to his tough finishes against heavy defense. Buckets like these throughout the game were worth more than their addition to the scoreboard. They gave the Bulldogs energy and momentum, and further allowed his teammates to get open looks from everywhere on the floor.
Drew’s defense from the perimeter to the hoop was solid as well. He avoided foul trouble, which is hard to do when you’re as versatile and big a player as Drew. He played conservatively when needed, but also kicked it into gear when needed, getting clean blocks and hustling to recover steals.
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Despite the 25-point performance and defensive showing, Tennial says he is far from satisfied.
“It was a good start, but it was just one game,” Tennial says. “My goal is to win the last playoff game of the season.”
Tennial says he needs to be more consistent and more aggressive on offense this season.