Observations from Timber Creek-Seneca

<p>The Olympic Conference match-up between Timber Creek and Seneca was crucial for the Patriot Division foes. The Chargers were looking to maintain their lead atop the division,while the Golden Eagles would be in a three-way tie for second place with a win. The game was back and forth throughout the night as Timber Creek pulled out a 52-49 win. The Chargers improve to 16-1 on the season, while Seneca drops to 7-8. Here are the top observations from Timber Creek-Seneca.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/eric-benjamin/">Eric Benjamin</a> is one of the top guards in South Jersey</strong></p> <p>The 13th ranked Chargers have been surging all season as they are one of the few teams in the state with only one loss. The senior guard duo of <strong>Justin Bladen </strong>and Benjamin has been working all season as they have combined for over 500 points this season. The latter was the top guy for Timber Creek as he led the team with 17 points. Benjamin was deadly from behind the arc with three three-pointers, but he was also able to get to the basket and finish. His ability to dribble out of the press made it hard for Seneca to complete the comeback in the fourth quarter. Benjamin may not be the biggest guard in South Jersey, but he is definitely one of the best.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/demetrius-paynter/">Demetrius Paynter</a> is an underrated power forward</strong></p> <p>Timber Creek is not loaded with size, but the Chargers do have a dominant big man in Paynter. The 6'6 senior is a load down low as he used his strong frame to carve out position down low. Paynter showed off a soft touch around the basket and was able to finish through contact down low. He is not just a forward who strictly plays in the paint as he knocked down an 18-foot jumper in the second half and made all three of this free throw attempts. Paynter may be an undersized power forward, but he knows how to get the job done in the paint.</p> <p><strong>Timber Creek's unique end of game strategy</strong></p> <p>The Chargers were able to come away with a key three point victory, but they used a unique strategy to ice the game. Head coach Richard Bolds decided to sub out four players at a time whenever his team got to the free throw line with less than four minutes left in the game. Benjamin, Paynter and Bladen were all substituted for <strong>Kolby Miller, Shaun Thompson </strong>and <strong>Tarheeb Still</strong>. The latter did have a key steal and bucket to end the third quarter, while Miller forced the turnover to seal the victory for the Chargers. Senior <strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-bergen/">Jalen Bergen</a></strong> was the only starter who seemed to avoid the substitution, except for when Benjamin was taking free throws. Bolds' strategy was definitely unique, but it resulted in the Chargers' eighth straight victory on the season.</p> <p><strong>Seneca can be a spoiler in South Jersey Group 3</strong></p> <p>The Golden Eagles came so close to knocking off 13th ranked Timber Creek. <strong>Malin Jasinski </strong>was on fire in the first half with 14 points, while <strong>Mac Carlin </strong>had eight of his 10 points before intermission. York College commit <strong>Johnny Kennevan</strong> ran Seneca's offense to perfection, while <strong>Travis Laster</strong> was the go-to scorer in the fourth quarter. The Golden Eagles have lost their last three games by a combined six points, but each of those teams have won at least 11 games this season. Seneca is currently the eighth seed in South Jersey Group 3, which could create an interesting quarterfinal game against Timber Creek.</p>