North Eugene 58, Thurston 56 (OT): Five Takeaways

<p dir="ltr">In order to keep their dwindling postseason hopes alive, North Eugene held off Thurston 58-56 on Tuesday behind their stellar guard tandem of <strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brennan-degarmo/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brennan-degarmo/">Brennan DeGarmo</a></a></strong> and <strong>Nate Duke</strong>.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a game that went back and forth throughout, the Highlanders topped the Colts with clutch shooting in the fourth quarter and overtime to move to 5-8 in league play.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite an offensive explosion from <strong>Santino Stranieri</strong> (21 points), the Colts dropped to just 6-7 in conference with the MWL’s top three teams still on the schedule (Churchill, Crater, Willamette). </p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, North Eugene will face the bottom three teams in the league to close the season, providing themselves with an opportunity to carry some much-needed momentum into the playoffs. </p> <p dir="ltr"><u>Here’s our five takeaways from Tuesday:</u></p> <p dir="ltr"><b>North Eugene is catching stride at the right time.</b></p> <p dir="ltr">Despite being hindered by injuries for much of the season, the Highlanders have now beaten Willamette and Thurston in back to back games, making two huge steps toward an elusive postseason berth. Although North has slipped up in a few games throughout the course of this season, they’ve done just enough to have something to play for down the stretch. The Highlanders clearly have talented pieces across the board (see 84-78 OT loss to #1 Churchill), and they’re finding a rhythm right when it matters most.</p> <p dir="ltr"><b>Nate Duke and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brennan-degarmo/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brennan-degarmo/">Brennan DeGarmo</a></a> complete one of the MWL’s top backcourts.</b></p> <p dir="ltr">In what has been an inconsistent season, Duke and DeGarmo have remained key difference-makers for North. On Tuesday night, both guards played with steady heads in a big match-up, scoring 17 and 15 points respectively to lead the visitors. Duke added six rebounds, four assists, and three steals to complete his all-around impressive performance. Meanwhile, DeGarmo tallied six rebounds and two assists while shooting 5-for-9 from the field. Against a solid defensive team in Thurston, the Highlanders’ senior guard tandem played incredibly well throughout. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Cameron Parks remains an elite paint threat.</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">After missing time earlier this season due to injury, North Eugene’s stud big man has once again proven himself as a difference-maker on both ends. The 6-foot-5 senior scored only 12 points, but also collected ten rebounds, two steals, and three blocks. While DeGarmo and Duke are great, Parks clearly remains the number one option for the Highlanders offensively. Above all else, Parks has tremendous athleticism, allowing him to make plays from all over the floor.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Thurston shouldn’t be hanging their heads.</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Although the Colts took a tough blow on Tuesday, they still have a shot to make the postseason if they can pull off an upset or two in the coming weeks. Stranieri, Jake Newell, and senior big Grant Starck are all great 5A players, and the Colts’ supporting cast is deep. Playing in the toughest 5A league is no easy task, but it always provides opportunity for a big win. That opportunity presents itself three more times this season for Thurston, who will look to cause more chaos down the stretch.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Jake Newell is one of the top sophomores in the area.</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Newell, who has been an absolute monster on the glass in particular, leads the Colts in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, clearly making him an elite sophomore. Despite being just 6-foot-3, Newell is a real load inside, and the Highlanders were forced to foul all night. He scored 20 points, nine of which came from the stripe, and as per usual, the sophomore stud also led the Colts with ten rebounds. Newell has a pretty well-rounded skill set on both ends, and his ability to shoot the three makes him a match-up issue for opposing teams. Coaches should be keeping an eye on this kid moving forward if they aren’t already.</p>