Crater 54, North Eugene 43: Five Takeaways
After trailing nearly the entire first half, Crater scored six straight points to close the second quarter and claim a two-point lead they would never surrender. Of those six, four came off Nate Bittle dunks underneath, and the final two…
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Continue ReadingAfter trailing nearly the entire first half, Crater scored six straight points to close the second quarter and claim a two-point lead they would never surrender. Of those six, four came off Nate Bittle dunks underneath, and the final two came on a backcourt steal layup by Bradon Ray.
In what was mostly a defensive battle, the 6-foot-11 Bittle and his Comets came out on top, holding the Highlanders to just 16 second half points.
Senior forward Cameron Parks and the Highlanders game planned well for Bittle’s size, as Parks outscored the blue chip prospect 12-9 in the opening half. But, as the game continued, Bittle began finding his rhythm underneath and his presence on defense was the key to Crater’s defensive prowess in the second half.
Here’s our five takeaways from Friday:
North Eugene is a real contender in the MWL
The Highlanders took Crater down to the wire, and although they didn’t come out on top, their team defense and energy was impressive all night. Iry Rankin stepped up offensively in the second half, and it appears North has some solid pieces to go around their stud combo forward in Parks. Matchups with Willamette, Thurston, Springfield, and Crater will be very exciting in the future.
Nate Bittle does a lot that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet
Bittle only tallied 21 points and five rebounds officially, but his influence upon the game was far beyond the numbers. Each team that matches up with the 6-foot-11 junior must be wary of his presence on defense, and although he only collected a single block, his size definitely kept many inside looks for North Eugene from happening at all.
Cameron Parks can score the basketball
Parks led the game with 12 points at the break, and he scored from all three levels to lead the Highlanders with 18 in the game. The 6-foot-5 senior has great footwork and a controlled handle inside, and his use of pump fakes and crafty moves allowed him to score on the five-star Bittle on multiple occasions.
The Highlanders have a tough home court
Throughout most of the first half, the gym was filled with excitement as the Highlanders knocked down their open looks and maintained a small lead. If even a fraction of this energy is maintained through their weaker conference opponents, North will be an extremely tough team to beat at home.
Crater needs a guard to step up offensively
On Friday, 32 of Craters 54 points came from the talented frontcourt of Bittle and the 6-foot-6 athletic four Kruger Edwards. If the Comets are going to make some noise at the Les Schwab Invitational, they will need perimeter players like Jayden Vranes and Hunter Chubb to score the ball more consistently. With opponents constantly focusing on Bittle, the door is open for someone to blossom into a terrific second option.