Thurston 63, Crater 43: Five Best
After dropping a game on the road to Willamette, Thurston came to play on Friday night, hammering the Crater Comets 63-43. Five-star sophomore Nate Bittle sat out the entire first quarter for disciplinary reasons, and the Colts responded by building a lead…
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Continue ReadingAfter dropping a game on the road to Willamette, Thurston came to play on Friday night, hammering the Crater Comets 63-43. Five-star sophomore Nate Bittle sat out the entire first quarter for disciplinary reasons, and the Colts responded by building a lead the Comets would never overcome.
Bittle, despite finishing with 17 points, 13 rebounds, one assist, and five blocks, was unable to bring his team back into the game. The 6-foot-10 sophomore knocked down an early fourth-quarter three-pointer to make it 37-34, but from that point on it was all Colts.
Isaac Lange led the way for Thurston with 17 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals. The senior playmaker was the driving force behind the home team’s offfense until the fourth quarter, when Cade Crist began to take over. The senior, who also plays quarterback during the fall, poured in eight of his 11 points in the final period to help blow the game open.
Mason Miller scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Colts, who moved to 6-3 in league play. Jayden Vranes took scoring matters into his own hands in Bittle’s absence, putting up 10 points for the Comets, who fell to fourth in the Midwestern League race following the loss.
MVP: Isaac Lange (2019 Thurston)
After receiving a pregame standing ovation for surpassing 1,000 career points, senior guard Isaac Lange led his Colts to yet another league victory in his long varsity career. The 6-foot-2 athlete made plays throughout the night, including an array of pull-up jumpers and runners in the lane. Lange consistently carries the offensive load for Thurston, and it wasn’t a different story on Friday, as he scored a team-high 17 on very effective shooting. Lange is a fiery leader, and his ability as a catalyst is arguably the Colts’ most important trait.
Play of the game: Nate Bittle Posterizing Dunk
Bittle’s impressive fourth-quarter dunk. (Dylan Kattengell Photo)Despite churning out a losing effort, Bittle provided his fair share of impressive plays, including a monster jam in the second half that reminded everyone in the gym who the best player on the court was. Bittle’s impressive finish came directly over Thurston big Grant Starck, and its impact was felt as the gym fell silent for a brief moment. Bittle scored 17 points in three quarters to go along with 13 rebounds, one assist, five blocks, and one steal. The sophomore phenom was a stat stuffer as always, and his length and shooting ability were very impressive despite the loss.
Best offensive performance: Cade Crist (2020 Thurston)
Crist was quiet until the fourth, when he didn’t miss a shot on his way to seven huge points. A crucial and-one finish by the junior arguably put the game out of reach, and the 6-foot-3 forward’s solid play down the stretch was what ultimately what made the difference for the Colts. No player besides Lange played with the same fire, and Crist’s 5-for-6 shooting made him very impressive offensively.
Best defensive performance: Nate Bittle (2021 Crater)
13 rebounds, five blocks, and a steal were all collected by the Crater big man, as his defensive presence reeked havoc for the Colts all night. Bittle has a freakish wingspan, and he makes blocks look incredibly easy underneath the basket with his combination of incredible timing and length. The 6-foot-10 post hardly needs to jump on some of his block attempts, and his importance as a rim protector speaks for itself.
Best guy of the bench: Nate Bittle (2021 Crater)
As soon as Bittle entered the game after sitting the entire first quarter, he made an immediate impact. The ESPN top-20 prospect scored five points and gathered seven rebounds in his first four minutes of play, and the productivity only escalated as the game went on. Bittle went on to bury two threes in the fourth quarter on the way to a 13 point second half. As he began to call for the ball and get aggressive, Bittle started showing some freakish offensive tools. Standing at 6-foot-10, the sophomore can dribble very well in the open court for his size, and he prefers to operate facing the basket unlike many similar players.