Five Takeaways: MIAA B Conference Championship
Gertsell and St. Paul’s face off yesterday afternoon for the MIAA B Conference championship. The Falcons of Gerstell were looking to repeat as champions, while St. Paul’s was trying to hoist the trophy under their new head coach Phil Hahn.…
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Continue ReadingGertsell and St. Paul’s face off yesterday afternoon for the MIAA B Conference championship. The Falcons of Gerstell were looking to repeat as champions, while St. Paul’s was trying to hoist the trophy under their new head coach Phil Hahn.
In the end, the Falcons were too determined to protect their crown and defeated St. Paul’s by a final score of 59-56.
Here are our takeaways from this one:
Anthony Carpenter refuses to lose
Senior guard Anthony Carpenter was a man on a mission for Gerstell, as shown by his game-high 23 points. 15 of his 23 points came in the second half after St. Paul’s made a huge run to get back into the game. Carpenter was key defensively during that stretch, coming up with key steals that led to fast break points to pause the momentum swing. In the fourth quarter, he connected on two three’s late that would help separate his team enough to hang on and win. These are the types of games where having seniors to lean on are so important and Carpenter embraced that for Gerstell.
Troy Barthelme is a legitimate prospect
Barthelme is also a standout on the lacrosse field. At 6-foot-7 with great strength, Barthelme has a big presence on the floor. While he can post up on the block, Barthelme is more effective from the perimeter where he can stretch the floor and showcase his outside shooting ability. In yesterday’s game, he finished with a team-high 19 points for St. Paul’s that included four three’s. He crashed the glass aggressively, competed on both ends and never gave up despite Gerstell separating themselves in the third quarter. Every time I see Barthelme, it seems like he improves drastically to the point where I could see him being able to help a low-major Division I program.
Jeremiah Stanton shows growth
Sophomore guard Jeremiah Stanton spearheaded a gutsy performance along with Carpenter for Gerstell. The 5-foot-10 guard finished with 16 points and stuck out with his efforts to fill lanes in transition. In the half court, Stanton found the weak spot in the middle of the zone by moving without the ball. He converted on multiple 12-to-15 footers.
Ziggy Reid gets going late
As St. Paul’s starting creeping their way back into the game, Merrimack commit Ziggy Reid left his imprint on the game. Reid scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half and did so from all three levels. He canned two three’s, knocked down a couple mid-range pull-ups and crashed the offensive glass. It was great to see the fight in Reid and willingness to pair with Barthelme to bring their team back and put them in a realistic position to win. Unfortunately, they came up just short.
Gerstell doesn’t allow St. Paul’s size to over-match them
St. Paul’s had a distinct height advantage over Gerstell. The Falcons’ tallest player stands 6-foot-4, while Reid and Barthelme stand 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-7 respectively. Gerstell did an excellent job getting position early in possessions for rebounds. While St. Paul’s got their fair share of second opportunities, Gerstell’s constant ball pressure resulted in turnovers for scores that sufficed for their lack of size in the frontcourt.