University School defeats Highland 52-48: Player Standouts

<p>What was originally supposed to be a home matchup against VASJ, University School added Highland to its schedule earlier in the week after finding out the Vikings were unable to play this weekend. Nonetheless, it was the Preppers that escaped with a four-point win after controlling the game all throughout the first half. </p> <p>After outscoring the Hornets 17-5 in the second quarter to take a 10-point lead at halftime, Aaron Filips and Highland never quit. He had six of the team’s 15 points in the third quarter, with teammate Josh Lees emerging late in the fourth quarter to make it a one-possession game in the closing seconds. But [player_tooltip player_id="805226" first="Faris" last="Dahman"] came up clutch for the Preppers at the free throw line, sinking one with 12 seconds left to make it a four-point lead and what would end up being the final margin of victory. Below are a few of the top performers from Friday night's game.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Top Performers</span></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="805226" first="Faris" last="Dahman"]<strong> (2021) | University School</strong><br /> <strong><em>stats: 9 points</em></strong></p> <p>It wasn’t the best shooting night from Dahman, but he made up for it with his defensive stops on the other end. The quicksilver point guard did a good job with keeping the Highland point guards in front of him. He was able to get a few defenders to bite on a couple of his pump fakes early on, no matter how far back behind the three-point line hwas. He’s flashy with the ball in his hands, always looking to make the extra pass to find shooters in the corner. Dahman has a very high motor and does a solid job taking care of the ball as well. </p> <p>Aaron Filips<strong> (2022) | Highland</strong><br /> <strong><em>stats: 13 points</em></strong></p> <p>It didn’t take long for Aaron Filips to make an impact on the floor. Coming off the bench in the opening minutes of the game, the guard knocked down a 3-pointer and scored five points in under 40 seconds, sparking a run to help push the Hornets out in front after the first quarter. He ended up leading the team in scoring, but what stood out to me was his ability to never give up on a play. With that, he was able to grab a myriad of offensive rebounds late in the game, resulting in the ability to get to the free-throw line. </p> <p>Justin Belcher<strong> (2024) | University School</strong><br /> <strong><em>stats: 11 points</em></strong></p> <p>The player who made the biggest impact for its team on the floor Friday night was freshman Justin Belcher for University School. Coming off the bench, the point guard led the team in scoring, making plays on the defensive side of the ball that not many freshmen can make. I counted at least four tipped passes, with a handful of them resulting in turnovers that led to transition points. His aggressiveness stood out, as he’d beat past his defender while using his athleticism to finish well near the rim. He does tend to watch the ball too much, becoming a bit overly-aggressive, but nonetheless, it was an impressive showing from a player who’s still very raw. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="918972" first="Ricky" last="Radtke"]<strong> (2021) | University School</strong><br /> <strong><em>stats: 10 points</em></strong></p> <p>A lengthy, skilled big man, Radtke stood out early in the third quarter. He poured in nine points-- including knocking down a corner 3-pointer-- in the first four minutes of the second half. He was able to score the majority of his points inside the paint as his quick footwork beat his defender to the spot for easy buckets. He's a player that trusts his outside jump shot as he was letting it fly from behind the arc all throughout the game. Radtke is disruptive on the defensive side of the ball as well, as his length makes it challenging for opposing players to get a normal shot off near the rim. </p>