Grant 83, Jefferson 82: 10 Best
Last year, it took a fourth try before Grant could upend Jefferson. This year, the Generals got it done in round one. In a back-and-forth game whose lore will join the other epic battle stories between these two PIL foes,…
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Continue ReadingLast year, it took a fourth try before Grant could upend Jefferson. This year, the Generals got it done in round one. In a back-and-forth game whose lore will join the other epic battle stories between these two PIL foes, Grant used pinpoint passing, timely shooting, and a whole lot of Aaron Deloney to win the first matchup between the rivals this season, 83-82.
“Most people – they have been saying our team was better last year and we had a better chance of beating (Jefferson) in the first game last year,” Deloney said. “Most people thought we would lose this game – I heard it first. So it feels good.”
The game didn’t look as if it would be a battle at the outset. Jefferson raced to a 22-12 first quarter lead, hitting their jumpers and utilizing their size advantage by pounding the ball inside. But Grant stayed the course and exploded for a 31-point second quarter to take a lead, and staved off every Jefferson comeback in the second half for the win. Deloney led the way with 30 points and eight assists while Ty Rankin added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Marcus Tsohonis led Jefferson with 25 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Grant’s passing was the key – the Generals tallied 19 assists against only five turnovers.
“Tonight, everybody was involved,” said Grant head coach Robert Key. “We’ve been around the corner; we just haven’t turned it. Tonight was a situation where do we turn it now – and I think we’ve turned. The progress from Las Vegas to the LSI, it’s molded us and built our character – and we displayed it tonight, all the way.”
MVP: Aaron Deloney (2019 Grant)
30 points, eight rebounds against only 1 turnover – what more is there to add for the Vermont signee? The 6-foot senior was simply dominant the entire game and for perhaps the first time in the last five times these games had played, it was as much with his passing as it was with his deadly scoring. Deloney consistently drew the double teams and then found open teammates for easy layups or wide open threes.
Play of the game: Ty Rankin (2019)
There were so many great plays in this game but one memorable one came in the fourth quarter. With Grant hanging on to a 70-69 midway through the fourth, Rankin – who has been struggling a bit with his shot this season – used a quick crossover dribble to shake off his defender and then launched and hit a step-back three to give the Generals a little breathing room at 73-69 before the back-and-forth play of the games final minutes.
Best offensive performance: Marcus Tsohonis (2019 Jefferson)
Obviously Deloney had it going offensively but Tsohonis almost matched him step for step. The 6-foot-4 senior had it going from his traditional spots in the mid-range and near the basket but also hit from three (3-for-8). Tsohonis dished out seven assists and tied for the team-high with nine boards as well.
Best defensive performance – Trevon Richmond (2019 Jefferson)
It’s hard to shine defensively in an up-and-down game such as this one but Richmond definitely had some strong individual defensive plays. He stuck with Deloney the best he could when he was in the game, helping limit open looks from three. In fact, Richmond even blocked one jumper from Deloney straight up and then tallied two other rejections in the game on help defense.
Best guy off the bench – LaQuandre Taylor (2019 Grant)
Coach Key mentioned post-game that Taylor – known as “Tiny” among his teammates – earned a game ball for his performance. He made an immediate impact when he came into the game and ended the night with 13 points and six assists against only one turnover. Taylor cut to the basket for easy hoops and even hit a three – something almost nobody would have imagined a few months ago.
Best intangibles – Nate Rawlins-Kibonge (2021 Jefferson)
In the boxscore, Rawlins-Kibonge certainly tallied some statistics with 13 points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots, which honestly were pretty impressive because he was drawn away from the paint on defense guarding his man on the perimeter. But even if he doesn’t score in games, the 6-foot-7 sophomore will always contribute with his length, strength, and motor. During the game he had a classic “Nate” moment when he blocked a Grant layup attempt and then did a little muscle flex afterwards.
Best under-the-radar performance – Erik Fraser (2020 Grant)
Fraser is going to get some shots this season thanks to the playmaking of Deloney and Rankin, and the 6-foot-3 junior is very good at finding spots on the perimeter to catch and shoot. He hit 3-for-6 from three-point range – largely taking them from the baseline – with his final one giving Grant its biggest lead in the game at 60-53 in the third. Fraser also helped out on the boards for the undersized Generals with seven rebounds.
Best underclassman – Max von Arx (2022 Grant)
Jefferson has so many talented sophomores but we’ve come to expect contributions from them. One young man we didn’t expect to have a big impact in this game was von Arx. In 17 minutes of play, the 6-foot-3 (and probably still growing) freshman tallied nine points and four rebounds, with his points the recipient of some nice assists from Deloney or Taylor finding him cutting to the basket for reverse layups. von Arx also canned a wide-open three.
Best catch and shoot guy – Keylin Vance (2019 Jefferson)
If there’s one thing we know about Vance is that he can really fill it up from the perimeter – especially when he hits his first one. That’s what the 6-foot-3 senior did late in the first quarter and then he proceeded to hit five in a row. Down seven points in the third quarter, it was two threes by Vance that helped keep the Demos in the game, with his last one tying the game at 62.
Best aspect of the environment – Everything
You can’t get much better in the state than the overall environment for Grant/Jeff. A packed house, plenty of raucous students, the loud cheerleaders, the hype music, and of course a close game filled with great plays – it was simply “the place to be” on Saturday night. Coaches and players from other teams around the Portland Metro area were in attendance to take in the scene and it was a great cap to what was a good day of basketball action at the PIL Showcase.
And an extra #11…
Best story to watch moving forward – How does Jeff respond?
The loss was extremely disheartening for Jefferson, which came into the season with such high expectations. Utilizing the revenge factor of having lost last year’s title game to Grant has been lost and confidence is rattled – after all, who would expect the Demos to be just a game over .500 and with five losses at this point? But if there’s one thing you can count on, head coach Pat Strickland will get his team in what he calls the “lab” and get things figured out. Jefferson should cruise through league play to get their confidence up and be ready for their next meeting with Grant at the end of the month.