Six Standouts From Monday Night at Cornerstone

The Cornerstone University Holiday Tournament was back in action Monday night as Muskegon Mona Shores and Tri-Unity Christian squared off in the Blue Division semifinal and Coldwater and Forest Hills Northern met each other in a showcase game. Below are my top performers from each game <h5>Mona Shores 65, Tri-Unity Christian 54</h5> Mona Shores and Tri-Unity Christian met on Monday night in an intriguing matchup that featured one of the best point guards in the state in [player_tooltip player_id="863922" first="Brady" last="Titus"] and an up-and-coming Mona Shores team that can score in a number of ways thanks to solid guard and wing play. [player_tooltip player_id="1213117" first="Parker" last="Swartz"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1184020" first="Keontae" last="Richards"] combined for 45 points to lead Mona Shores to a hard-fought win over a fundamentally sound Tri-Unity team who was within arms reach of the game until the final minute or so. [player_tooltip player_id="1213117" first="Parker" last="Swartz"], 6’5 G/F, Mona Shores 2023” Parker led all scorers on Monday night with 24 pts. He knocked down a handful of perimeter jumpers featuring a smooth and consistent shot release. His length allows Parker to get his shot off over the outstretched arms of defenders. He also moved well within Mona Shores’ halfcourt sets to position himself to get quality looks. Parker also made his impact felt when Mona Shores got out in transition. Parker showed a strong handle through traffic and an ability to finish at the rim and dump it off to his teammates for an easy bucket. [player_tooltip player_id="1184020" first="Keontae" last="Richards"], 6’1” G, Mona Shores 2022” Keontae was the second-leading scorer for Mona Shores with 21 points. In my opinion, Keontae’s defensive plays made the difference for Mona Shores on Monday night as he created 3 turnovers which led to transition baskets late in the game. Keontae has quick hands and lateral movement, allowing him to apply constant on-ball pressure, and do so without fouling. Late in the game, Keontae turned Tri-Unity over and finished the play with a coast-to-coast layup. The very next play Keontae knocked down a corner three to effectively ice the game for Mona Shores. Those are the type of winning plays every team needs from its senior point guard. [player_tooltip player_id="863922" first="Brady" last="Titus"], 5’11 G, Tri-Unity Christian 2022” Brady looked and played like one of the top point guards in the state on Monday night as he led the Defenders with 22 pts and what must have been close to double-digit assists. Brady plays with a level of poise that is unmatched by his peers and always seems to be a step ahead of the play. Brady did a great job of taking what the defense was giving him, carving up the Sailor’s halfcourt defense with jumper after jumper from the midrange. This was a tough matchup for Tri-Unity given Mona Shores’ length and depth, but Brady rose to the occasion and gave the Defenders a chance in the 4th quarter.   <h5>Coldwater 62, Forest Hills Northern 43</h5> Coldwater came into Monday night’s game as one of the early dark horses in Division 1, and they played like a true contender, dismantling a Forest Hills Northern team who is still trying to find its groove after losing a large portion of its roster from their final four team a season ago. Coldwater had a balanced scoring contribution led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id="863976" first="Brandon" last="Downs"] (17 pts) and [player_tooltip player_id="863993" first="Ethan" last="Crabtree"] (13 pts). [player_tooltip player_id="863993" first="Ethan" last="Crabtree"], 6’5 G, Coldwater 2022” Ethan was the glue for everything that worked well for Coldwater on Monday night. Ethan was highly active on the defensive end, using his length to erase high percentage shot opportunities for Forest Hills Northern. Ethan grabbed a handful of 50/50 rebounds on both ends of the floor and got Coldwater out in transition with a couple of perfect lead passes to teammates down the court. [player_tooltip player_id="863976" first="Brandon" last="Downs"], 6’1 G, Coldwater 2022” Brandon was the most impactful defender in this game, applying pressure at the top of Coldwater’s zone defense for four full quarters. His motor never seemed to dial down, and his energy was contagious. Offensively, Brandon started out the game with a couple of perimeter jumpers. He then went to work getting past Northern’s defenders with his dribble-drive, converting several high percentages looks in the paint and a dunk to ice the game. Drew Dabaja, 5’10 G, Forest Hills Northern 2024” Drew was a big bright spot for Forest Hills Northern, and should be a guard to watch for the foreseeable future. The sophomore went on a run in the third quarter with a couple of shots from distance and a series of defensive stops that brought some much-needed energy to the Huskies. The ball seemed to stick in the first half, and it was Dabaja whose pace of play brought some life to the Huskies’ offense in the second half. I’d expect Drew to have more opportunities to make his impact felt going forward.