5 Takeaways: Ada-Borup outlasts Shiloh Christian in double overtime thriller
The best game of the day in the Jamestown Holiday Classic was the last one as Ada-Borup defeated Shiloh Christian 83-75 in double overtime. A back-and-forth affair that saw swings in momentum featuring two teams that are among the best in their respective states in their respective classes certainly lived up to the billing.
Here are five takeaways from the contest:
Ada-Borup’s Balance was the key
The Cougars don’t have a go-to guy. They might not need one because all seven guys that played big minutes scored at least five points. Four guys scored in double figures and it seemed like it was a different guy every time Ada-Borup needed a basket. Jared Brainard set up Mason Miller for a game-tying layup in the final seconds of the first overtime session. Brainard was key in the fourth quarter as well. Colby Stevenson was good in the second quarter in particular. Preston Gwin made big shots throughout the game. Tommy Stewart came up with big shots late in the game. Even Verdis Barber was productive off the bench. The Cougars have good depth and it’s a big part of why they’ll probably win 20-plus games and be a factor in March.
The Big-man Battle lived up to the billing
The matchup of the day in the game of the day was undoubtedly the big man battle featuring Miller and Shiloh senior Macauley Young. Early in the game, it felt like Young was the far superior player as the 6-foot-9 big scored 16 points in the first half while Miller struggled to establish himself inside. Then as the game went on, Miller’s effort and physicality inside took its toll on the game and he got going. Young finished with 24 points before fouling out and with him out of the game, Shiloh didn’t have an answer for Miller in the paint. Miller is one of the best big men in the 2020 class and while he’s got a ways to go in honing inside skills, his size, motor, strength and athleticism allow him to dominate games. Young has great touch and footwork inside though he doesn’t have the top-shelf athleticism or raw motor Miller does. It was fun to see both guys compete against each other because I doubt either guy sees a big that can contend with them very often. Both had their share of wins Saturday night. Both guys are going to be key cogs in a lot of wins this winter.
Jaden Mitzel is a matchup nightmare
Shiloh’s dynamic duo of Young and Mitzel is going to be a hassle for everybody the Skyhawks face this year. Young’s size and skill is a rarity in the state but Mitzel’s inside-outside ability is also a rarity. At 6-foot-2, Mitzel doesn’t have great length inside, and he doesn’t have great explosiveness, but he’s really good at using his strength and crafty moves inside to create space and separation to elevate and finish in traffic. He’s got good touch in the mid-range area and he picks his spots well. He gave the Cougars fits all night.
Shiloh’s lack of shooting could hurt the Skyhawks in the long run
The Skyhawks hit just one 3-pointer Saturday. It wasn’t because they didn’t take many because they had opportunities. Young and Mitzel draw a lot of attention inside and I’d assume a lot of teams are going to try to zone them up – which means there will be chances for the Skyhawks to score from the outside. Shiloh will always have an advantage inside because of those two but they’ll run into teams that can limit those guys even a little bit and when that happens, guys like Canaan Fagerland and Matthew Reep are going to have to be able to relive some of that inside pressure by making shots.
How far can both these teams go?
Shiloh is a top-five team in Class B North Dakota and will be a favorite to not only get to the state tournament, but compete for a state title. The Skyhawks have some deficiencies (namely shooting) but they’ve got as much talent and experience as any team in the state.
Ada-Borup is consistently one of the better teams in Class A and that’s the case again this year as they are a fringe top-10 squad. Cass Lake-Bena is probably the favorite in their section, but the Cougars have all the components to win their league, make a deep run in sections and potentially play in the state tournament.