Game Recap: Solon vs Brunswick

<p>Solon and Brunswick met for a GCC matchup Tuesday night. Brunswick was able to start the game off with a lead, then [player_tooltip player_id="809614" first="Sam" last="Marbury"] and Jimmie Williams started to take control of the game for the Comets. They gained their first lead of the game early on in the second quarter and never trailed after that.</p> <p>Brunswick’s [player_tooltip player_id="1041446" first="Marquis" last="Barnett"] battled foul trouble in the second half and an off shooting night from senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="919004" first="Tre" last="Massey"] didn’t help the Blue Devils inch any closer. Solon led by double digits most of the third and fourth quarter and in the end, they were able to escape with a 61-56 win. Here are a few of the game’s top performers. </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Top Performers</span></p> <p><strong>Jimmie Williams | 6-2 Sr | Solon</strong></p> <p>One player who’s starting to look more comfortable in a bigger role within the offense is senior guard Jimmie Williams. All game long he showed the ability to get to the rim where he did most of his damage. Williams finished with a team-high 24 points and often bullied smaller guards near the rim, leading to easy buckets and free throw opportunities.</p> <p>No player got the free throw line more than him and his eight points to spark an early run in the second half was imperative during the win. As the season goes on, Williams will look to play a big spot at the guard position alongside [player_tooltip player_id="805195" first="Marcus" last="Steele"] and the duo can become one of the area’s most lethal backcourt if they continue to play at a high level. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1041446" first="Marquis" last="Barnett"]| 6-3 Sr | Brunswick</strong></p> <p>On an off shooting night from one of the area’s best shooters in [player_tooltip player_id="919004" first="Tre" last="Massey"], [player_tooltip player_id="1041446" first="Marquis" last="Barnett"] had to step up big time in order to keep his team in the game all night. He did just that. The senior guard was all over the floor, getting to the rim with ease while also connecting on a couple of 3-pointers. Throughout the night, his jumper remained fairly inconsistent and just out-muscled smaller defenders regularly. His ability to finish at the rim is  impressive and he makes some highlight plays on the defensive end that have really stood out from other players I’ve covered this season. He’s a player that’s consistently making plays--whether it’s blocking shots or getting ahead for fast-break dunks. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="809614" first="Sam" last="Marbury"] | 6-4 Jr | Solon</strong></p> <p>After being held scoreless in the first quarter, Marbury heated up after that. He connected on three 3-pointers and scored 10 of the team’s 22 second-quarter points to head into halftime with a four-point lead. He’s very long and plays much bigger than his listed 6’4" size. The junior had at least 10 rebounds on the night and often found himself taking the ball up the court as well, leading to some transition buckets.</p> <p>One area of his game that I’ve noticed improved over time is his passing ability when he’s attacking the rim. Marbury was crucial for his team down the stretch and ended the game with 16 points and just needs to develop a more consistent jump shot in order to take his game to another level. </p>