Five Takeaways: DeLaSalle (MN) 76 vs Des Moines North 64
Des Moines — It seemed as if DeLaSalle point guard Tyrell Terry was simply biding his time until he took control, and that’s exactly what he was doing. In the first half, the silky smooth Stanford recruit was passive, scoring…
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Continue ReadingDes Moines — It seemed as if DeLaSalle point guard Tyrell Terry was simply biding his time until he took control, and that’s exactly what he was doing.
In the first half, the silky smooth Stanford recruit was passive, scoring five points on few shots and getting a feel for what he was up against. His Islanders trailed by seven at the break, 38-31.
The second half, though, belonged to DeLaSalle, which has won six of the last seven Minnesota 3A state titles, and it was because Terry made his move, scoring 22 of his 27 points in the third and fourth quarters.
Des Moines North star Tyreke Locure earned the respect of the DeLaSalle crowd, going for 22 points of his own in the second half. The South Alabama recruit finished with a game-high 33 points, which is about routine for him (31.1 ppg this season).
The two star point guards, which are among the best the Midwest has to offer, certainly did not disappoint. It was George Washington recruit Jamison Battle that might have been the best surprise here, though. The big and nimble combo-forward was sensational in both halves, going for a cool 22 points in the win.
DeLaSalle, Minnesota’s top-ranked 3A squad, improves to 10-4 with the win. For No. 9 Des Moines North, it was just the third loss of the season, they’ll try and get to 13-3 Tuesday night against Fort Dodge.
Team Scoring
Minneapolis DeLaSalle — 20 11 18 27 — 76
Des Moines North — 19 19 10 16 — 64
Individual Scoring
Minneapolis DeLaSalle: Tyrell Terry 27, Jamison Battle 23, Kresean Greer 9, Kameron Givens 6, Jalen Travis 6, Semaj Hart 3, Julian Wright 2.
Des Moines North: Tyreke Locure 33, Lino Malual 12, Malik Allen 8, Gore Puot 6, Gatdoar Bijiek 5.
Five Takeaways
Locure and Terry Will Be Stars
We knew coming in that these were two of the best point guards in the Midwest; we left feeling very confident that’s the case. The 22 points each of them scored in the second half was something to see. Tyreke Locure will be headed to South Alabama next season, the Jaguars are currently 10-11 and play in the Sunbelt Conference. It would appear that Locure — who is averaging a state-best 31.1 points per game this season — is a guy that could make an immediate impact as a freshman, and become a star very quickly down in Mobile. Terry, a slithery and slick 6-foot-1 point guard is headed to the The Harvard of the West, Stanford. His game is refined, and he’s got the smarts, savvy and skill to be an undersized but effective floor general who makes noise in the Pac 12.
Jamison Battle Unsung
The story coming into the game and in the second half was the point guard battle. But the whole time Jamison Battle was imminent. He’s a big but nimble, skilled and agile combo-forward. He goes about his business methodically and was consistently a pain in the neck for the undersized Polar Bears. The George Washington recruit scored 22 in the win, 10 in the first half and 12 in the second. And was absolutely essential to the Islanders big road W.
Polar Bears’ Avalanche
DeLaSalle got out to a hot start, but North closed the gap quick and then opened up a big lead of their own in a matter of moments early on. When the dust had settled, the Des Moines squad has executed a 16-2 run within the first quarter, that included a slew of steals and even more 3-balls. That’s the method of operation for the Polar Bears: strike fast, build momentum and then pour it on. And that’s exactly what they did in the first quarter.
Malik Allen Flex
For a sophomore, Malik Allen has some serious strength, and that was on full display on more than one occasion tonight, each of those instances culminating with a two arm flex from the small but mighty guard. If there was ever a flex that was warranted, it’s the one that comes from an underclassmen, who not once, but twice, goes up, absorbs contact and finished through it for an and-one. Allen is one of Iowa’s best sophomore guards. And he showed why, in spurts, tonight.
Islanders’ Poise
After the Polar Bears’ 16-2 run, it looked as though the Minnesota squad might be in trouble. But the demeanor of the Islanders never changed. It was just a matter of Islanders’ leader Tyrell Terry getting a feel for the game, and making his move. Minnesota’s top-ranked 3A squad went into the break down seven, and erased the deficit swiftly in the third quarter. No Islanders showed signs of distress and no Islanders wavered, the senior stars, Terry and Jamison Battle, went about their dominance in a very businesslike approach, and they ultimately they came away with an impressive road win against one of Iowa’s most talented 4A units.