Mountainside 65, Sunset 55: 10 Best

<p>It was Senior Night on Wednesday at Sunset and while both the Apollos and the visiting Mountainside Mavericks are assured of post-season bids, both teams were looking to improve upon their current OSAA rankings. A tight game throughout, the Mavericks' continual pressure on both ends of the floor took its toll on the smaller Apollos and in the end, Mountainside pulled away for a 65-55 win.</p> <p>It was clear from the outset that Sunset would make it competitive and some hot shooting from star guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/braeden-sato/">Braeden Sato</a> helped propel the Apollos to a 31-28 halftime lead. But as most teams have found out this season, it's difficult to keep up with Mountainside's size and relentless pounding for an entire game. The Mavs started to utilize their physicality on the offensive glass and staved off a late rally from Sunset and won going away.</p> <p>Here's a look at the "10 Best" from the contest.</p> <p><strong>MVP – <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/bennett-giebels/">Bennett Giebels</a> (2020 Mountainside)</strong></p> <p>Giebels was a consistent offensive threat all game long, whether it was bullying his way to the hoop for scores or hitting catch-and-shoot jumpers. At 6-foot-4, 195 pounds with some decent athleticism he's a tough matchup for most high school wings and he utilized his size advantage over every Sunset defender the entire night.</p> <p><strong>Play of the game – Steal by <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dezman-baker/">Dezman Baker</a></strong></p> <p>With Mountainside hanging on to a two-point lead with just under two minutes to play, Baker smothered his assignment near half-court and got a deflection and a steal. He subsequently threw it to Grayson Rowell streaking up court, who converted the layup and put Mountainside solidly ahead.</p> <p><strong>Best offensive performance – <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kell-estep/">Kell Estep</a> (2021 Sunset)</strong></p> <p>Estep is a dangerous offensive player in that he can not only knock down the catch and shoot jumper, but also create off of the dribble. Sometimes the shot selection can be questionable but on this night, things were going in - especially in the second half when he went through one stretch of hitting six shots in a row. He ended up with 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting, 3-for-4 from three-point range.</p> <p><strong>Best defensive performance – <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dezman-baker/">Dezman Baker</a> (2022 Mountainside)</strong></p> <p>As evidenced by his steal, Baker played great on-the-ball defense all night long. The 6-foot-3 sophomore often did his best to stick with Sunset star guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/braeden-sato/">Braeden Sato</a> and helped limit Sato to only five points in the second half. Baker is long, rangy, and athletic with quick hands.</p> <p><strong>Best guy off the bench – <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/andrew-ingalls/">Andrew Ingalls</a> (2020 Mountainside)</strong></p> <p>This is a bit of a misnomer as Ingalls typically starts, but he didn't start on Wednesday (along with some other seniors) due to an issue with team rules. But the 6-foot-7 big man ended up playing starter's minutes and was effective inside as usual, tallying 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting and grabbing seven boards.</p> <p><strong>Best intangibles – Connor McClean (2020 Mountainside)</strong></p> <p>It wasn't a big scoring night for the 6-foot-5 senior but he did make his mark in other ways. McClean was one of the many Mavs that was tough on the boards, grabbing eight, and he showed off his athleticism with a couple of blocked shots on defense. A willing passer, he dished out three assists as well.</p> <p><strong>Best under-the-radar performance – Will Zupancic (2021 Sunset)</strong></p> <p>Zupancic has started to earn more and more playing time as the season has gone along and it's because the junior can knock down shots. The 6-foot wing knocked down three threes in the first half and forced the Mountainside defense to account for him.</p> <p><strong>Best underclassman – <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dezman-baker/">Dezman Baker</a> (2022 Mountainside)</strong></p> <p>As much as Baker does on defense, he's a talented offensive player as well. The 6-foot-4 effectively uses his length and crafty dribble to get to the basket almost whenever he wants, and he had some tough finishes around the hoop in the second half. He ended up with 13 points.</p> <p><strong>Best shooter - Grayson Rowell (2020 Mountainside)</strong></p> <p>When he's wide open and has his feet set, you can pretty much put it in the bank that Rowell will hit the perimeter jumper. The 6-foot hit a crucial three in the second half and also did a little more than just spotting up as he scored a couple of buckets around the hoop as well.</p> <p><strong>Best story moving forward - Mountainside's Final Ranking</strong></p> <p>Going into the game Mountainside was ranked #8 in the OSAA rankings and a top eight finish would mean the Mavericks would have an easier road to the state tournament than most. Their last game of the season is likely a win, will that secure them the right to host both first round and second round post-season games?</p>