Region 1 Championship – Top Players

Michael Herrick March 11, 2021 @ 11:17 PM

#4 Oak Grove 51 #2 Kindred 65 The first time these two played Kindred beat Oak Grove by a score of 51-48. Whiling getting into the Championship game Oak Grove had to beat Northern Cass on Monday and they upset Enderlin on Tuesday. Kindred had two large margin victories over Hankinson and Central Cass. The Grovers bring in a 14-8 record. The Vikings come into this game with a 17-4 record. The Grovers average 69.9 ppg and give up 63.8 ppg. The Vikings score 60.5 ppg and allow 41.9 ppg. Halftime Score – Central Cass 24 Kindred 26 Final Score – Oak Grove 51 Kindred 65 Made 3-pointers – Oak Grove 10 Kindred 3 Kindred punched their ticket to the State Tournament in Minot starting on March 18th. The game started the way it ended. The Vikings had a dominant start and a dominant end. Kindred started the game on a 13-0 run. Oak Grove had a great 2nd quarter and went into halftime only down two points. Oak Grove game out firing right away in the 3rd and took the lead for a brief period. It was a back-and-forth game for a bit. Eventually, the Vikings clamped down on defense, grabbed every rebound, and rained jumpers. The Grovers gave a great effort and had a wild season. We will see the Vikings next week in Minot! Here are the top players from tonight’s game: 1. [player_tooltip player_id="731867" first="Gavin" last="Keller"] (2021) |6-9 F| Kindred – 19 points, 3-3 FT’s. He was great in the semifinal game and Gavin had another excellent game tonight. Keller started the scoring with an O-board 2 handed slam tip-in. Gavin blocked a shot shortly after that. I liked his baseline spin-move that led into a reverse layup. Like always he was impressive rebounding the basketball. His shot has been phenomenal as of late. He drained multiple jump-shots for 15-17 feet. Gavin had another great tip-in on an O-board in the second half. This time he was fouled, and he hit the free-throw after. He helped finish off the Grovers late by cashing in free-throws. What a great way for Keller to end his career in Region-1.   2. [player_tooltip player_id="1123710" first="Jaiden" last="Peraza"] (2022) |6-4 F| Kindred – 17 points, 1-2 FT’s. He started the game by going 2-2 from the charity stripe. Jaiden was the difference-maker in the first quarter and set the tone for the Vikings. In the first half, he made a smooth turn-around baby hook that made him look like an old-school player. He also scored 2 easy points early in the game on a pass from Olson. Jaiden had a couple of nice dishes in the game when he was attacking. He dominated on the boards. Jaiden showed off his athletic prowess all night. Peraza had a nice basket with a tough cut through the lane with hands in his face. I was impressed with his jump-shot tonight. He hit multiple deep deuces out by the 3-point line. His shot has improved as the year has gone on. The Vikings are tough to guard when Peraza can stretch the floor and hit from outside.   3. [player_tooltip player_id="812227" first="Paul" last="Olson"] (2022) (6-4 G| Kindred – 11 points, 2-3 FT’s. He is a next-level athlete who can do it all. Early in the game, Paul grabbed an O-board over the defenders. Instead of shooting it, he found a wide-open teammate. Paul is a selfless player. He had a monster block/pin off the backboard on defense. Paul is a dynamite player, every time he has a breath of fresh air, he could dunk it in your face.   4. [player_tooltip player_id="1123711" first="Max" last="McQuillan"] (2022) |6-5 G| Kindred –10 points, 4-5 FT’s, 2 triples. One of the best long guards in class B. He Has the size to be a post, but he has the skills to be a guard. He is a mismatch all over the court.   5. [player_tooltip player_id="1046336" first="Mason" last="Martinson"] (2021) |5-11 G| Oak Grove – 12 points, 4 triples. He runs around the court with great enthusiasm. I like how a hand in his face makes no difference. Mason broke free four 4-triples. However, the Viking defense stopped him from getting anything near the basket.