Linden-Westfield: Top 5 Takeaways

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>County tournament time is coming up as teams are looking to take home hardware before the state tournament. Linden and Westfield faced off in a big UCC matchup with the Tigers winning 59-46. Here are the top 5 takeaways from the Linden-Westfield game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>1. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1213555' first='Nas' last='Robinson'] is one of the top players in the UCC</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Robinson scored a game-high 20 points as he was able to get to his spot on the court throughout the night. The 5'9 guard used his quick first step to get into the lane and finished creatively around the basket. Robinson was able to get his teammates involved and shot the ball with confidence from behind the arc. He made an impact on the defensive end as he swatted a pair of shots and moved his feet on the defensive end. Robinson has been the main guy for Linden this season and should continue to put up big numbers for them as the season continues.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>2. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1269793' first='Theo' last='Sica'] is Westfield's secondary scorer</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sica scored a team-high 14 points for the Blue Devils as he was able to get a rhythm on the offensive end. The 6'1 guard set his before he shot and showed a quick release on his jumper. Sica moved well without the ball in his hands, freeing himself up for open layups and shots in the half court. He fought for rebounds on both ends of the floor and was able to get deflections on the defensive end. Sica's ability to knock down jumpers from behind the arc is something that will be key for Westfield in the county and state tournaments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>3. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1213571' first='Elijah' last='Butler']'s play inside was the difference</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Butler had a big game for the Tigers as he made an impact on both ends of the floor. The 6'5 lefty was active on the glass as he secured offensive rebounds throughout the night to secure the Tigers extra possessions. Butler finished nicely around the basket and showed that he was unafraid to draw contact down low. He played solid interior defense as he held his ground in the paint and swatted a pair of shots. Butler's ability to make plays at both ends of the floor is something that will be key for Linden as they look to make a deep run in the postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>4. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1150537' first='TJ' last='Halloran'] runs the Blue Devils' offense</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Halloran struggled to find his shot as he finished with four points, but he set the tone for the Blue Devils' offense. The Rensselaer Polytech commit used his crafty handle to get by his defender as he was rarely sped up by his defender. Halloran was able to routinely get into the paint where he made several slick passes to his teammates. He was able to push the pace in the open floor and got steals on the defensive end. Halloran's ability to run Westfield's offense smoothly is something that will be key for the Blue Devils as they look to make noise in the county tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>5. [player_tooltip player_id='1396264' first='Elijah' last='Motley'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1045871' first='Jaylan' last='Hodge'] complemented Robinson nicely in the backcourt</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Motley and Hodge both finished in double digits as their contributions came in big times for the Tigers. The former attacked the basket strong as he finished nicely around the basket and played with confidence with the ball in his hands. Hodge scored all 11 of his points in the third quarter as he can get hot from distance in a hurry and wasted little motion in his jumper. They both moved well without the ball in his hands and got deflections on the defensive end. Motley and Hodge complement Robinson nicely in the backcourt and should continue to do so for the remainder of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->