Ranney-Mater Dei: Top Takeaways

<p>Ranney and Mater Dei have ruled B Central over the past five seasons with division winner coming down to one of the two. Their match-up tonight was no different as a Ranney victory would give the Panthers the outright title. Mater Dei would claim a share of the division with a win on Senior Night. The Panthers fought for a 54-43 victory over the Seraphs to claim their third consecutive B Central title. Here are the top takeaways from Ranney-Mater Dei.</p> <p><strong>1. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/elijah-perkins/">Elijah Perkins</a> is a true floor general for Ranney</strong></p> <p>Perkins has been a steady force for the Panthers all season and that did not change against Mater Dei. The sophomore point guard was hard to keep out of the lane and took the ball strong to the basket. He had a nice chase-down block on <strong>Peter Gorman</strong> in the first half and capped off his night with a highlight reel poster dunk. Perkins is one of the top point guards in the Shore Conference and has the potential to lead Ranney to a deep run in the Shore Conference Tournament.</p> <p><strong>2. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kyle-rhoden/">Kyle Rhoden</a> is an impact big man down low</strong></p> <p>Rhoden may have only played in his third game of the season, but he was a force on both ends of the floor. The 6'9 junior showed off nice footwork in the post and ran the floor hard on both ends. He showcased his defensive versatility by playing at the point of Ranney's 3-2 defense. Rhoden has had a double-double in every game this season and that should continue if he keeps up his energy on both ends.</p> <p><strong>3. Tahaj Parland can cause problems for opposing backcourts</strong></p> <p>Gorman led Mater Dei with 14 points, but it was Parland who had the biggest impact. The 5'9 senior was able to penetrate Ranney's zone and had a couple of nice finishes around the basket. He had an impressive and-1 finish over Rhoden and hit a pair of three-pointers in the game. Parland showcased his speed in the open floor late in the third quarter when he blew by the entire Ranney defense for a layup. His lack of height does put him at a disadvantage on the defensive end, but Parland is hard to guard with his speed and play-making off the bounce.</p> <p><strong>4. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ryan-zan/">Ryan Zan</a> is the X-Factor for the Panthers</strong></p> <p>Zan started off the year strong with 56 points in his first three games, but has taken more of a backseat since Rhoden and <strong>Charles Anyichie </strong>became eligible. The 6'5 sophomore chipped in nine points for Ranney and scored in a variety of ways. He knocked down a corner three-pointer in the second half, but also had a nice and-1 dunk late in the fourth to the game. Zan has been good for Ranney all season long and will need to keep up his play if the Panthers want to make a deep run in the Shore Conference Tournament.</p> <p><strong>5. Mater Dei could pull off an upset in Non-Public B South</strong></p> <p>The Seraphs did not play well against Ranney, but they have the pieces to pull off an upset in the state tournament. Gorman is capable of knocking down three-pointers in bunches and is good at moving on the baseline. His chemistry with Parland and <strong>Sean Turner </strong>is key as the guard trio provide spacing for each other on the perimeter. Junior forwards <strong>Andreas Von Fricke</strong> and <strong>Phil Urban</strong> are tough players who don't mind doing the dirty work down low. Mater Dei will have to travel to Doane Academy for the opening round of Non-Public B South, but the Seraphs are capable of beating the Spartans on the road.</p>