Five Takeaways: Albia at Knoxville
Blake Chance scored 21, including going 8-8 from the FT line in the 4Q, to help Albia pull out a key SCC win KNOXVILLE — In a wild, back-and-forth affair on Thursday night, it was visiting Albia who escaped with…
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Continue ReadingKNOXVILLE — In a wild, back-and-forth affair on Thursday night, it was visiting Albia who escaped with a key road win in the South Central Conference race, upending Knoxville, 70-64 (scoreboard read 70-66, which I believe is incorrect).
Hot shooting from Knoxville junior wing Spencer Hixson helped the Panthers build up an early lead. Hixson had 16 points in the first nine minutes of the game, but was hampered the rest of the evening with foul trouble. At some point in the second quarter, the Panthers were given credit for a bucket when the foul was called on the floor, which led to a discrepancy in the score for the rest of the game. The scoreboard said that Albia led 34-33 at the half, when I believe the actual score was 34-31.
Knoxville star guard Kieren Nichols started to take over in the second half, relentlessly attacking the rim for buckets. His constant attacking helped Knoxville reclaim a 52-48 (or 50-48) lead after three quarters. The teams went back-and-forth for much of the fourth quarter before Albia claimed a 65-63 lead with 1:03 to play. The Blue Demons went 12-13 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to help pull out the win.
Albia (13-2, 10-1) was led by Blake Chance, who had 21 points and was-8 from the line in the fourth quarter to ice the victory. Younger brother Drew Chance chipped in 13 points (11 in the second half) off the bench, while Jackson DeMoss (11) and Nathaniel Wynn (10) each added double figures.
Knoxville (11-4, 8-1) was led by Kieren Nichols, who had a game-high 27 points and seven assists. Spencer Hixson added 19 points on 7-9 shooting, but was held to just 3 points in the final 23 minutes of play.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Albia | 16 | 18 | 14 | 22 | 70 |
Knoxville | 17 | 14 | 19 | 14 | 64 |
Albia: Blake Chance 21, Drew Chance 13, Jackson DeMoss 11, Nathaniel Wynn 10, Brayden Messamaker 6, Joseph Teno 4, Trey Griffin 3, Jackson Pence 2
Knoxville: Kieren Nichols 27, Spencer Hixson 19, Luke Keitges 8, Mike Hudson 6, Ben Olson 2, Keegan Cox 2
Blake Chance is clutch
Chance, a 6-4 junior guard, is Albia’s leading scorer, but he wasn’t really at the top of his game on Thursday night, going 4-14 from the floor, but he still wanted the ball in his hands late, and he delivered in a big way, going 8-8 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to help ice the game for the Blue Demons. He contributes across the board, as the team’s leading rebounder and he has four times as many assists as any other player on the team, but what really stood out in this one is that he didn’t shy away from the moment, and didn’t let a poor shooting night impact him at the end of the game.
Drew Chance’s coming out party
Younger brother Drew Chance is a 6-2 freshman forward who had a career night in helping Albia come away with the win. He scored 13 points (he had scored 43 points in 11 games coming into this one), including 11 in the second half. A big, physical forward with a great frame and soft touch around the rim, he’ll pair nicely with older brother Blake as an inside-out duo. He’s efficient (5-7 from the floor), rebounds and wants the ball. This was his breakout game.
Photo credit: Knoxville Journal Express
Kieren Nichols is a scoring machine
Nichols came into this one averaging 27.2 points a game, and he matched that total, dropping 27 points on 10-19 shooting (1-7 from 3). As those numbers indicate, he’s at his best when he’s playing downhill, getting to the rim for finishes. He’s got a great first step and plays with pace, changing speeds on the defenders to help him get to the rim, where he’s a creative finisher with either hand. He also showed a nice floater game to score against bigger defenders. In addition to his 27 points, he dished out 7 assists.
Spencer Hixson gives Knoxville a great one-two punch
Hixson, a 6-4 junior wing who transferred in from Des Moines Christian, was on fire to start this one, scoring 16 points (on 6-6 shooting, 4-4 3P) in the first 9 minutes of the game. Foul trouble hampered him for the rest of the game and he didn’t score again until early in the fourth quarter, but he’s a talented shot maker who gives the Panthers a great one-two scoring punch. Nichols has the ability to get to the rim seemingly whenever he wants, and if Hixson is shooting the ball like he was in this one, good luck. With his size he can get his shot off whenever he wants, and he has a pure stroke from 3.
Tuesday night should be electric
Knoxville had a chance to pretty much wrap up the league title with a win in this one, and they let it slip through their fingers. It’s unusual to have such a quick turnaround, but these teams will meet again on Tuesday night, in Albia, essentially for the conference title. That atmosphere should be electric, and the action on the floor should match it if Thursday night was any indication.