Five Takeaways: Riverside Poly vs. Canyon
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FULLERTON — Riverside Poly and Anaheim Canyon met Wednesday in what was expected to be — and turned out to be — a competitive early season matchup between two historically strong programs. Canyon led for most of the game, including…
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Continue ReadingFULLERTON — Riverside Poly and Anaheim Canyon met Wednesday in what was expected to be — and turned out to be — a competitive early season matchup between two historically strong programs.
Canyon led for most of the game, including a nine-point advantage at halftime. Poly, which battled through some foul trouble in the first half, chipped away at the Canyon lead in the third and fourth quarters to climb back into the game.
With under a minute to go, Comanches freshman forward Brandon Benjamin scored on a layup inside to give Canyon a 46-44 lead. On the Bears’ ensuing possession, senior forward Payden White Payden White 6'5" | SF Riverside Poly | 2022 State CA-S drove to the basket and drew a foul, sending him to the free throw line with a chance to tie the game with under 15 seconds to play.
White connected on both free throws to tie the game at 46 and send it into overtime. In the overtime period, Poly made the necessary plays to inch its way to a 52-51 victory. Below are our five takeaways from that game.
Poly has a strong freshman class to build on
The star on this night for the Bears was freshman guard Brayden Burries. The 6-foot-4 prospect finished with 21 points and nine rebounds in the win while showing an all-around offensive skill-set which included multiple buckets off post-ups in the paint and the ability to knock down three-point shots. But Burries wasn’t the only Poly freshman to get significant playing time. Isaac Williamson played solid minutes at the point guard spot. Coach Yancy Dodson has three other freshmen on his roster to keep an eye on: Justyce Lucero, Kory Dodson and Caleb Render.
Payden White Payden White 6'5" | SF Riverside Poly | 2022 State CA-S has next-level game
White has always been an intriguing prospect due to his combination of size, skill and athleticism which has led to his ability to guard multiple positions and initiate offense or play without the ball. The 6-foot-5 wing scored 15 points in this game and made a number of winning plays on both ends down the stretch. White, who began his high school career at Corona Centennial, possesses the type of versatility and glue-like traits that can help a program at the next level.
Canyon freshman forward puts on another impressive performance
Brandon Benjamin led all scorers with 24 points in the loss for the Comanches and when we say his interior footwork and scoring ability are matured well-beyond his years, we mean it. The 6-foot-3 forward has impeccable touch around the rim with either hand and uses shot fakes, pass fakes and an anchored pivot foot to get just about any shot he wants inside. Benjamin also showed his passing chops in this game when hitting multiple cutting teammates and spot up shooters for open shots.
What does this early season win mean for Poly?
While its tough to dissect what an early season win means in the long-term, the Bears can come away from this game with a lot of confidence in its young players mixed with its two upperclass studs. Rhode Island-signee Chance Stephens Chance Stephens 6'2" | SG Riverside Poly | 2022 State CA-S (10 points) had an off-night by his standards, but White and the young cast of players stepped up in a big way against a very good Canyon team and program.
What does this early season loss mean for Canyon?
Not a whole lot, honestly. The Comanches are a well-coached bunch who are pretty good at brushing off a loss and bouncing back in a big way. Canyon has a lethal offensive scheme and with the amount of weapons they have, led by Benjamin, Jaden Goodall, Tyler Howard and Emerson Marks Emerson Marks 6'1" | PG Anaheim Canyon | 2022 State CA-S , look for this team to win 20+ games, compete for a league title, and make some noise in the playoffs.