West Fargo 85 Fargo South 79: Game Takes

Fargo, ND - We had a wild afternoon game today in the EDC. For the most part, the Bruins controlled the game and led for the majority of the contest. West Fargo overcame a sluggish start, stayed close, and came back for the win. With the victory today, the Packers are now 13-3. The Bruins are now 8-10 after the L today. Read below for much more information on today’s EDC matchup. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1385145" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/WF-crop-4032x2648-1644698242-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1385147" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/WF1-crop-3561x2338-1644698331-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <h4>Packer Scoring Leaders</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="812219" first="Carson" last="Hegerle"] (2022) |6-3 G| - 22 pts, 8-9 ft’s [player_tooltip player_id="1385223" first="Foday" last="Sheriff"] (2022) |6-4 F| - 16 pts, 1-2 ft’s, three 3-pointers [player_tooltip player_id="1161460" first="Nick" last="Carlson"] (2022) |6-4 F| - 16 pts, 2-5 ft’s, four 3-pointers [player_tooltip player_id="812231" first="Brett" last="Limke"] (2022) |6-1 PG| - 11 points (all 2nd half), three 3-pointers [player_tooltip player_id="1046355" first="Parker" last="Nelson"] (2022) |5-11 G| - 9 points, 2-2 ft’s, one 3-pointer Jaden Grefsrud (2022) |6-1 F| - 7 points, 3-4 ft’s <h4>Bruins Scoring Leaders</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="1135490" first="Zunekia" last="McGill"] (2022) |6-0 G| - 18 points, 7-9 ft’s, one 3-pointer [player_tooltip player_id="1317710" first="James" last="Hamilton"] (2024) |6-3 G/F| - 13 points, 3-4 ft’s [player_tooltip player_id="1359828" first="Cole" last="Kegbeh"] (2024) |6-3 F| - 11 points, 2-4 ft’s, one 3-pointer William Lacher (2023) |6-1 G| - 11 points, one 3-pointer Dean Grant (2023) |6-4 G/F| - 11 points, 2-2 ft’s, three 3-pointers Evan Booth (2023) |6-0 G| - 8 points, two 3-pointers Kolby Jones (2022) |5-8 G| - 5 points, one 3-pointer <h4>Today’s Top</h4> Defenders - [player_tooltip player_id="812231" first="Brett" last="Limke"] impressed me with his on-ball defense. His feet are constantly moving and shuffling to get in front of the ball-handler. Limke is great at cutting off the dribble, walling up, and keeping his chest in front of the defender. [player_tooltip player_id="1135490" first="Zunekia" last="McGill"] also stood out as a defender. He seems to be ubiquitous when guarding the ball or off. He closes gaps quickly, recovers even faster, and never gives up. Diamond’s lateral quickness is noteworthy. He also took a charge. Rebounder - [player_tooltip player_id="1359828" first="Cole" last="Kegbeh"] stood out today as the top rebounder. His best rebound of the game came right before you WHAMMED home and O-board putback. Cole was good all game on the offensive glass. Kegbeh is a strong and powerful player. Cole elevates well for the ball and he has good timing. He is an impressive athlete for only being a sophomore. Hustler - Kolby Jones impressed me by diving on the floor and sliding across the hardwood in hopes of grabbing a loose ball. Jones was also bothering rebounders in hopes of poking or stripping the ball free for a quick turnover. He also gets up and down the court in a hurry. Shooters - [player_tooltip player_id="1161460" first="Nick" last="Carlson"] stood out as he nailed four 3-pointers. When I watched him earlier this season, Carlson was doing his damage in the paint. I was surprised to see him around the arc so often today. However, Nick’s stroke looked good and he was a key part of the Packer victory. [player_tooltip player_id="1385223" first="Foday" last="Sheriff"] was not playing serious minutes earlier in the year but I had heard that he was playing well as of late. Foday hit his shots by spotting up around the arc and stepping into the pass for an in-rhythm look. He cashed in 3 of them. Sheriff has a soft high release that he makes look effortless. Dean Grant was the best 3-point shooter in the first half with three 3-balls. He hit two of them back-to-back. Dean hit them in catch-and-shoot situations with excellent elevation. I like that Grant sprints to his spot, sets his feet flawlessly, and shoots it with a quick trigger. Slashers - [player_tooltip player_id="812219" first="Carson" last="Hegerle"] was the leading scorer and he did all his damage inside the arc. Like you saw last year in the State Tournament, Carson is almost impossible to stop once he gets in a groove. The future D1 football player is an impressive athlete that scored in a variety of ways when attacking the basket. [player_tooltip player_id="1317710" first="James" last="Hamilton"] is a kid that has burst onto the scene as the best newcomer in the EDC. He is a better athlete than I realized. Especially early in the game, James was slashing towards the hoop and hitting mid to short jumpers. His crossover was impressive and he has a quick first step. Hamilton had a marvelous high arcing finger-roll finish with two players on him. <h4>Game Notes</h4> As a fan, I love these early games on a Saturday. It gives me a chance to watch hoops all day. Often times, it seems like high school teams come out flat on Saturday afternoon games. That was the case today. Both teams started slow, but the Bruins picked it up first. South did not back down from the reigning State Champs. The Bruins were the more physical and aggressive team for most of the game. I was really impressed with South's communication on defense. It was easier to hear today because of the smaller crowd. I liked the way the Bruins pushed the tempo, which led to many good looks in transition. South is definitely an improved team, if they got a few breaks late in the game the Bruins could have walked away with a huge upset. For about 85% of the game today it seemed like West Fargo was playing from behind. I have to hand it to them, it was not their best day but they stuck around and found a way to win. It felt like the Packers were always within striking distance and that was the case. WF went on a run later in the 2nd half and started to heat up from beyond the arc. I was impressed with the Packer's execution at times today with BLOBS and SLOBS, they got some really good looks. It would have been easy for WF to give up today and walk away when shots were not falling. This shows me that they are mentally tough and the Packers know how to close out games. It may not have been pretty, but it's a W for the Packers. Late in the game, after West Fargo had taken the lead, Fargo South had a costly series of events. The Bruins had to foul so they could send the Packers to the ft-lane. Instead, a Bruin player picked up an intentional foul and after that, another player picked up a technical foul. Those two plays all but sealed the deal. However, the Bruins did close the gap to 2 points with a Zunekia Diamond 3-ball with under a minute left in the game. The Bruin comeback came close but fell short. It was a wild game that was full of excitement and impressive plays. Good luck to Fargo South and West Fargo. It would be fun to see these squads meet up again at the SHAC later this season!