Forest Hills Northern 55, Northview 53: 10 Best

<p>Down 12 in the 4th quarter, Forest Hills Northern (8-4, 4-1 OK White) looked well on its way to losing a second straight conference game. Timely buckets from juniors <span style="color: #ff6600;">Dan Gutierrez</span> and <span style="color: #ff6600;">Cole Rynbrandt</span> and several key stops tied the game with 30 seconds, setting up the Huskies with one last possession. Junior guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trinidad-chambliss/">Trinidad Chambliss</a> had a relatively quiet night up to that point, however, he seized the moment, taking his defender off the dribble and converting a contested mid-range jumper to put Forest Hills Northern ahead 55-53 with 3 seconds left in the game.</p> <p>Northview (8-3, 4-1 OK White) quickly got the ball past half court and called its final timeout with 1.6 left in the game. The Wildcats drew up a play to get it's star sophomore, Kyler VanderJagt the ball in the corner for an open look. This would never happen as Trinidad stepped in front of the ensuing pass, deflecting it towards the opposite end of the floor and effectively ending the game. </p> <p>10 Best From Tuesday Night</p> <h6>MVP: <span style="color: #ff6600;"><a style="color: #ff6600;" href="https://prephoops.com/player/ethan-erickson/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ethan-erickson/">Ethan Erickson</a></a></span>, Forest Hills Northern, 2021</h6> <p>The sharpshooter came out firing yet again for the Huskies, leading all scorers with 21 points. The junior guard showed why he's one of the more feared shooters in the area, hitting a barrage of jumpers from deep and in the mid-range to keep Forest Hills Northern within striking distance throughout the game. In the 4th quarter, Erickson had three key assists to help the Huskies come back from double digits and eventually take the lead in the final moments. Despite facing a variety of defensive looks, the junior guard was able to do enough offensively to help Forest Hills Northern secure a crucial conference win.</p> <h6>Best Play: <span style="color: #ff6600;"><a style="color: #ff6600;" href="https://prephoops.com/player/trinidad-chambliss/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trinidad-chambliss/">Trinidad Chambliss</a></a></span>' Go-Ahead Jumper</h6> <p>At halftime, I tweeted out that Forest Hills Northern would need a solid second half from junior <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trinidad-chambliss/">Trinidad Chambliss</a> if the Huskies wanted to win the game. Did the junior guard ever rise to the occasion. Trinidad started out on the left-wing, took his defender to the middle of the court, used a quick arm bar to gain separation, then dribbled it between his legs twice while drawing his defender back to the three-point line before exploding towards the hoop and eventually converting a tough, contested floater just outside of the paint to give Northern the 55-53 advantage.</p> <h6>Best Post Player: <span style="color: #ff6600;">Mike Christian</span>, Northview, 2021</h6> <p>The junior forward used his length all night to grab boards, deflect passes, consistently disrupting Northern's offensive rhythm for most of the game. What impressed me the most about Christian was his effort to get on the floor for loose balls. From my count, Christian secured the possession on at least four 50/50 balls in the second half.</p> <h6>Best Under The Radar Performance: <span style="color: #ff6600;">Cole Rynbrandt</span>, Forest Hills Northern, 2021</h6> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ethan-erickson/">Ethan Erickson</a>'s jumpers and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trinidad-chambliss/">Trinidad Chambliss</a>' late-game heroics may have overshadowed the contributions from the rest of the team, however, the efforts of the Huskies role players shouldn't go unnoticed. If it weren't for the timely plays of junior Cole Rynbrandt, the Huskies probably don't win this game. With two minutes left in the game, Cole hit a huge three to bring Northern within two, 53-51. The very next possession, Rynbrandt faked a pass and drove the lane, converting a crucial shot to tie the game at 53 with 1:15 left in the game. These clutch plays from Cole allowed the Huskies to even have a chance in the final moments of the game.</p> <h6>Best Underclassmen: <span style="color: #ff6600;">Jalen Charity</span>, Northview, 2022</h6> <p>The sophomore guard stepped up big in the absence of starting point guard, Avarie Simspon, scoring 13 points and adding several assists. The moment never seemed too big for the underclassmen either, as he held his own defensively against Forest Hills Northern's talented backcourt.</p> <h6>Best Defensive Performance: <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kyler-vanderjagt/"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Kyler VanderJagt</span></a>, Northview, 2022</h6> <p>Not only did Kyler lead Northview on the offensive end with 20 points, but the sophomore wing also made numerous defensive plays throughout the night to give Northview the lead through nearly four full quarters. Kyler uses his 6'3" frame effectively, disrupting passing lanes and ending second-chance opportunities. Northview has quite the luxury in the continued development of its star sophomore.</p> <h6>Best Rebounder: <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kaden-boucher/"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kaden-boucher/">Kaden Boucher</a></span></a>, Northview, 2020</h6> <p>Kaden played well offensively for Northview, scoring 10 points and several assists on the evening. His biggest contribution, in my opinion, was his effort on the glass. Kaden did a great job high-pointing several contested rebounds, helping the Wildcats limit Forest Hills Northern's second-chance opportunities.</p> <h6>Best Aspect of the Environment: #MAMBA</h6> <p>The tragic passing of the late great Kobe Bryant has had an enormous effect on not only the basketball community but sports as a whole. He inspired countless hoopers worldwide and his memory should never be forgotten. Both Northview and Forest Hills Northern wore warmup shirts with #MAMBA on the chest, while the Northview student section had a purple and gold out to further honor the Laker great. It was a special moment on Tuesday night at Northview High School.</p> <h6>Best Coach Decision: Northview's Final Timeout</h6> <p>After <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trinidad-chambliss/">Trinidad Chambliss</a> hit the floater to put Forest Hills Northern up 55-53 with just under 3 seconds remaining, Northview head coach Dave Chana elected to draw up a play to get the ball in at half court, allowing Northview to take a timeout with 1.6 seconds remaining. Most teams in this situation would've taken their chances with a last-second half-court heave. Although the Wildcats never got a shot off, Northview had a much higher chance of getting a clean look out of the sideline-out-of-bounds play.</p> <h6>Best Intangibles: Forest Hills Northern's Resiliency  </h6> <p>Staring at a double-digit deficit on the road in the fourth quarter, it would have been understandable if Forest Hills Northern continued to let Northview extend its lead on the way to a key conference win. However, the collective efforts by the Huskies proved to be too enough and with the momentum swinging back in their favor, Forest Hills Northern came all the way back, avoided its second straight conference loss and found a way to win. This type of comeback may be the springboard for greater things ahead for Forest Hills Northern.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>