Player Evals: Late Clutch Plays Send Danville to Substate Final

[caption id="attachment_1290563" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/152-Sawyer-Nelson.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1290563 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/152-Sawyer-Nelson-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1235044" first="Sawyer" last="Nelson"] had 10 points and 8 rebounds in Danville’s win[/caption] DONNELLSON -- Down the stretch, it was the senior-laden team from Danville that made a few more plays on both ends of the floor, overcoming a young and talented Winfield-Mt. Union squad, 44-41, to advance to Saturday night’s substate final. Four of Danville’s five starters are seniors, and that experience certainly showed in the fourth quarter, as the Bears got a few more buckets, and a few more stops, en route to an 11-7 win in the final eight minutes that carried them to the win. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="1235044" first="Sawyer" last="Nelson"] had a pair of big offensive rebounds and buckets midway through the fourth quarter that helped Danville gain a lead, and a [player_tooltip player_id="1352966" first="Drake" last="Johnson"] steal and layup gave them a 41-39 advantage with 3:15 to play. Trailing by two points with 1:31 to play, Winfield-Mt. Union only had three team fouls, so they started fouling to get Danville into the bonus. With 46.9 seconds to play, Cadence Williams went 1-2 from the line to give Danville a 3-point lead. A [player_tooltip player_id="1381409" first="Jake" last="Edwards"] 3-point attempt hit the front iron on the ensuing possession, and [player_tooltip player_id="962692" first="Ty" last="Carr"] knocked down a pair of free throws to give Danville a 5-point edge with 24.4 seconds to play that the Wolves couldn’t overcome. Danville (22-2) moves onto the substate final where they’ll face division rival WACO, who they have swept this season by scores of 43-38 and 39-37. The Bears were led by [player_tooltip player_id="962692" first="Ty" last="Carr"], who had a game-high 15 points. [player_tooltip player_id="1288859" first="Caiden" last="Gourley"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1235044" first="Sawyer" last="Nelson"] each chipped in 10 points. Winfield-Mt. Union’s season ends with a 21-3 record. The Wolves were led by [player_tooltip player_id="1381409" first="Jake" last="Edwards"], who had 13 points, including all seven of their points in the fourth quarter. [player_tooltip player_id="1171698" first="Abram" last="Edwards"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1171697" first="Cam" last="Buffington"] each added 9 points in the loss. Buffington and [player_tooltip player_id="1171698" first="Abram" last="Edwards"] are both sophomores, and [player_tooltip player_id="1381409" first="Jake" last="Edwards"] is a freshman, so expect WMU to be formidable for the next few years.   <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 63px;"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">Team</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">1Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">2Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">3Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">4Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">F</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">Winfield-Mt. Union</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">10</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">13</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">11</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">7</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">41</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">Danville</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">7</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">15</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">11</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">11</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">44</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   Winfield-Mt. Union: [player_tooltip player_id="1381409" first="Jake" last="Edwards"] 13, [player_tooltip player_id="1171698" first="Abram" last="Edwards"] 9, [player_tooltip player_id="1171697" first="Cam" last="Buffington"] 9, Konner Wade 5, Andrew Brown 3, Carter Loyd 2 Danville: [player_tooltip player_id="962692" first="Ty" last="Carr"] 15, [player_tooltip player_id="1288859" first="Caiden" last="Gourley"] 10, [player_tooltip player_id="1235044" first="Sawyer" last="Nelson"] 10, [player_tooltip player_id="1352966" first="Drake" last="Johnson"] 6, Carson Ourth 2, Cadence Williams 1   2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962692" first="Ty" last="Carr"] (Danville) The most experienced player on Danville’s roster stepped up and played really well to help send them to the substate final, nearly doubling his scoring average by putting up 15 points on 6-10 shooting, as well as knocking down a pair of huge free throws in the fourth quarter. He has a quick first step and is a good finisher at the rim with either hand. He sees the floor well and does a good job penetrating, getting the defense to collapse, and then finding a cutter or open shooter for looks. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/119-Caiden-Gourley.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1290526" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/119-Caiden-Gourley-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1288859" first="Caiden" last="Gourley"] (Danville) Gourley is probably the Bears’ most talented player, a 6-5 wing who can score from all three levels and use his length to impact the game on the defensive end. He moves well off the ball, finding spaces in the defense as a cutter or a spot-up shooter, and he has a quick release off the catch. He finished with 10 points on 4-8 shooting, including 2-3 from 3-point range. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/152-Sawyer-Nelson.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1290563" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/152-Sawyer-Nelson-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1235044" first="Sawyer" last="Nelson"] (Danville) If Gourley is the Bears’ most talented player, Nelson was their most important on Tuesday night. His effort on the offensive glass and on the defensive end with his rim protection was crucial in the second half. He’s a springy and long 6-6 forward who runs the floor hard and is a really good help defender who came out of nowhere for a few big blocks, and his presence in the paint really helped limit Buffington and Edwards’ effectiveness. Nelson finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds (3 offensive), and a pair of blocks in the win. 2024 Carson Ourth (Danville) Ourth averages just 3.3 points and 3.0 rebounds off the bench for the Bears, but he provided some excellent activity on both ends of the floor in this win. He’s a long and mobile 6-6 forward who runs the floor hard, can protect the rim, and has good hands. He’s still very raw, but there are a lot of traits here that will make him an intriguing player to watch for the next few years. He had 2 points and 3 rebounds off the bench. 2025 [player_tooltip player_id="1381409" first="Jake" last="Edwards"] (Winfield-Mt. Union) A young freshman guard with good size at 6-3, Edwards saved some of his best play for the fourth quarter, scoring all seven of the Wolves points in the final period. He rose up in the biggest moments of the game, looking to take the big shots. He’s long, a solid ball-handler, and a pretty good perimeter shooting threat. The son of former Iowa State big Klay Edwards, he has to put some strength onto his frame, but there is a lot of skill here. He had 13 points on 4-8 shooting, including going 3-6 from the arc. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1171698" first="Abram" last="Edwards"] (Winfield-Mt. Union) A skilled 6-6 combo forward, Edwards handles the ball pretty well for a young player with his size, and he scores efficiently around the rim. He has excellent size and length, but we’d like to see him become a bit more assertive as he continues to progress through his high school career. The skill level and size make him a difficult player to defend at this level, he just needs to continue to demand the ball and attack, which should come as he continues to grow physically and mentally. He had 9 points on 4-8 shooting to go with 8 rebounds. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1171697" first="Cam" last="Buffington"] (Winfield-Mt. Union) The Iowa football commit is an eye-popping athlete who skies for rebounds, looks to dunk nearly everything, and has excellent body control around the rim. He has good hands and is a physical force in the paint on both ends of the floor who can also take his defender off the dribble and get to the rim for finishes. Danville defended him pretty well, bracketing him on most possessions and daring the Wolves guards to beat them, which is part of the reason Buffington only attempted 7 shots, making 4 of them en route to his 9 points.