Five takeaways: Farmington vs. North Farmington

<p>This game came down to the wire. It was tied at 39 with 10 seconds left, but North Farmington's Justus Clark was able to drive and get fouled with 0.1 seconds on the clock, which sent him to the line for two shots. He was able to knock down both, securing a 41-39 win for the Raiders. North Farmington was led by Yusuf Jihad, who collected a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Farmington was led by Jaden Akins, who had 17 points. </p> <h2>Jaden Akins is special</h2> <p>Akins was dominant from start to finish. He was scoring, passing, defending and rebounding. He was doing it all for the Falcons. As I mentioned before, he finished the game with 17 points, and it felt like a lot more given the score of the game. At times, his shot selection wasn't the best, but for the most part, he played outstanding and really kept Farmington in the game. He is a special player that will excel at the next level. </p> <h2>Jamal Hayes dominated the first half</h2> <p>Farmington didn't have an answer for Hayes in the first half. He scored all 14 of his points in the first two quarters and helped the Raiders build an eight point halftime lead. He was getting to the basket at will and finishing some tough shots in traffic. He was held in check in the second half but still played solid defense down the stretch and helped rebound the ball, as he collected six boards. He will be a key player for the Raiders the rest of the season. </p> <h2>Yusuf Jihad dominated the second half</h2> <p>North Farmington only had three players score in the game. Hayes had 14, Clark had 11 and Jihad had 16. Jihad was awesome in the second half, due to the fact that he got better position down low. In the first half, Farmington did a nice job of pushing him out of the paint and forced him to be a shooter. That wasn't the case in the second half. He fought for position down low and really made his mark in the paint. He's a solid low post player that has a lot of upside. </p> <h2>Defense was solid</h2> <p>Both teams really locked in defensively in this game. For most of the game, both teams were applying full court pressure, which led to turnovers. The two teams combined for 20 turnovers in the game. One player that needs to be singled out is Tariq Shepherd. He is one of the best on-ball defenders in the state, and he was harassing Raiders guards all night long. He has great lateral quickness and does a good job of recovering if he does get beat. He's a very talented guard that will help any college program. </p> <h2>Justus Clark was clutch late</h2> <p>After Shepherd hit two free throws to tie the game at 39, North Farmington was just looking to get something going towards the rim. Clark got the ball and did exactly that, flying to basket and drawing a foul with 0.1 seconds left. After that, he was able to knock down two free throws, giving the Raiders the win. He ended the game with 11 points. Clark is a very talented player that can get to the basket and finish around the rim. He's also a solid shooter that can make a difference at the next level. </p>