5 Takeaways: Geneseo vs Sterling
Friday night we caught the last regular season game for conference rivals as Geneseo hosted Sterling. It was all Geneseo early as they jumped out to a significant lead. Sterling would battle back by pressuring Geneseo defensively, but they were…
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Continue ReadingFriday night we caught the last regular season game for conference rivals as Geneseo hosted Sterling. It was all Geneseo early as they jumped out to a significant lead. Sterling would battle back by pressuring Geneseo defensively, but they were never able to get within striking distance. Geneseo won by a final of 70-55. We dive into our 5 Takeaways: Geneseo vs Sterling!
Isaiah Rivera Dominant Once Again
We have seen top 5 2020 Isaiah Rivera twice this season with Geneseo. The first time he went for 51. Tonight he was equally as impressive. The 6’5” wing is such a skilled player. He has a strong build and knows how to use it. Rivera time after time took it at the defense as he knew he couldn’t be checked one on one and their rim protector was in foul trouble. Gets to the foul line at a high rate where he is extremely effective. Flashes a burst off the bounce and has a knack for keeping control of the ball through traffic on his gather to the rim. Took weaker defenders to the post where he garnered deep post position for scores. Overall did a nice job handling the ball against pressure as the primary ball handler. Connected on one three on the night. Plus rebounder on both ends of the floor from his wing spot. Crashed for a pair of put backs. I came away extremely impressed with his passing again. Feel for finding teammates when the defense collapses on him. He had 37 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 dimes.
Young Geneseo Squad Steps Up in Regular Season Finale
Big win for this team to close out the regular season. With a young squad they are building toward the future and this was huge. Junior point guard Jacob McConnell was outstanding knocking down triples and scoring in the lane en route to 12 points. Tim Lehman brings some projectability as the 6’5” 2020 post presents mobility and the ability to finish down low. Area rebounder as well. Went for 11 points. Kade Ariano is a scrappy forward that got a couple buckets inside including a sweet give and go.
Aidan Shore Foul Trouble
The Ferris State commit is the #4 center in the 2019 class. Long and lanky at 6’9” with athleticism and upside. Unfortunately he didn’t get to show his full arsenal as he was in foul trouble much of the night. Picked up three fouls in the first half and recorded his fourth early in the 3rd quarter. Despite this he did show flashes of what makes him such an intriguing D2 prospect. Got on the glass for multiple rebounds with his super long arms and quick second jump. Wasn’t able to do what he normally does as a rim protector because of the fouls. Finished with 6 points and 7 rebounds.
Role Players Show Flashes for Sterling
With their star out for portions of the game we saw what some of the other guys on this team bring to the table. The breakout player for Sterling was senior point guard Alek Duran. The 6’0” 2019 prospect was very aggressive in the second half taking it to the cup for multiple and-1s and runners. Got to the foul line for a career high 18 points. Isaiah Ryan had it working in the first half with acrobatic layups on his way to 10 points. Junior guard Cooper Willman is another scrappy guard for Sterling who hit a corner three as part of his 8 points. Class of 2021 forward Trevon Jordan is a prospect we saw last summer on the 15U level and thought he had potential. The 6’5” combo forward is a bit of a tweener right now, but was effective guarding in the post and using his strength inside along with a sweet turnaround jumper for 6 points.
Playoff Outlook for Both
With the regular season over what does next week look like in the 3A regionals for each team? Geneseo hosts their regional having to play Monday night against LaSalle Peru. If they play like they did tonight they should be able to move on to the regional semis against #2 seed Dixon. Sterling will play their first round game on Wednesday against Stillman Valley. If they win they advance to play Rock Falls who is the top seed in the sectional.