Five Takeaways: St. Charles vs. Poly

<p><em>WALDORF, MD</em> -- Poly advanced the 3A state final four after defeating St. Charles by a final score of 69 to 54 tonight. Poly 2020 wing Brandon Murray led all scorers with 29 points while St. Charles 2020 wing Darius Miles scored 21 to lead his team. Below is a look at five takeaways from this win or go home contest.</p> <h2>MURRAY SETS THE TONE EARLY; CLOSES GAME STRONGLY</h2> <p>From the game's onset, <strong>Brandon Murray</strong> let it be known that he came to play. The sturdily built, sneaky athletic 6-foot-5 wing stuck a triple from the corner to start the game, and dove on the floor to secure a loose ball not long after. Murray attacked the offensive glass relentlessly when his man left to help, and came up with several second chance points as a result. He was also responsible for helping his team close out the game on offense, moving well without the ball, finishing in traffic, and consistently creating his own shot off the bounce. </p> <h2>MILES SHOWS IMPRESSIVE FLASHES</h2> <p><strong>Darius Miles </strong>showcased the ability to score from all three levels throughout the game. The long-limbed 6-foot-7 guard consistently created his own shot off the bounce, and got into the lane where he demonstrated impressive body control. In order to take his game to the next level, Miles needs to improve defensively and stay locked in on that end of the floor. He also needs to show that he can finish with his right hand in traffic. </p> <h2>POLY BIGS CONTROL THE PAINT</h2> <p>St. Charles really missed the presence of 6-foot-5 sophomore big <strong>Jaiden Butler</strong> in this one. Having another body to bang with <strong>Justin Lewis</strong> and <strong>Armani Walker</strong> would have done them some good. Offensively, both Lewis and Walker finished strong through contact in traffic. They both hit the offensive and defensive glass. They also both protected the rim effectively and showed that they can defend on the perimeter as well.</p> <h2>BOWMAN GIVES IT ALL</h2> <p><strong>Anthony Bowman</strong> struggled to find a footing in the game during the first half, but rebounded strongly, both literally and figuratively. As the team's best facilitator, Bowman wasn't able to connect with his teammates, so he took it upon himself to be aggressive and look for his shot. With his team attempting to mount a comeback, and what appeared to be a minor groin injury, the unsigned senior stuck three consecutive trey balls before ultimately fouling out. Despite this being his final high school game, Bowman can be proud of his effort. </p> <h2>ALI THE X-FACTOR</h2> <p>In the past we've seen St. Charles go down double digits at half, but use a 2-2-1 press to get back into the game. <strong>Rahim Ali</strong>'s ball-handling ability and change of pace rendered that option undesirable. The experienced junior floor general exhibited a tight handle, was lightning quick off the bounce, and shrewdly used hesitation moves to keep defenders off balance.</p>