Round-2 OPEN: St. Mary's at ALA-Gilbert North

On Friday, February 10th I attended the Round-2 match-up of the #2 4A American Leadership Academy-Gilbert Norh Eagles hosting the #18 4A St. Mary's Knights.   The Eagles started the game on fire, as they led 22-11 after the 1st quarter with [player_tooltip player_id='1494967' first='Dylan' last='Novak'] leading the way with 14 points. The second quarter the Knights flipped the script and [player_tooltip player_id='994006' first='Styles' last='Phipps'] started dominating the game. The Knights led 36-26 at halftime.   The third quarter belonged to the Knights and they extended the lead to 56-41 heading into the fourth quarter. The Eagles made one last mini run to slice the lead to only seven at 72-65 with 2:27 to play. The Knights made many free throws down the stretch and won 87-77.   ALA-Gilbert North goes back to 4A and will be a tough out for sure!   <h2>Here were the standouts from the OPEN playoff game</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='994006' first='Styles' last='Phipps'] St. Mary's (Pictured)   One of the top guards in the AIA showed why in this contest. He had 40 points, 10 assists plus close to 10 rebounds unofficially. He hit a couple triples with a quick release but his blow-by game was on point. He changes speeds well and hesitates and then bursts by. His shift is arguably the best in the class and is tough to stop once he euros his way down the lane. He loves his mid-range pull-up and he has impeccable footwork and a super tight handle in close quarters to score with nice body control. Defensively he has very quick hands to collect steals and great anticipation. He makes slick passes to teammates in stride and seems to toy with the defenders at times.   [player_tooltip player_id='1449361' first='Caspian' last='Jones'] St. Mary's   A thicker wing forward with skill. He plays the game with a huge IQ and feel. He is a very good passer and made some impressive passes from the forward position. He rebounds well with his frame and scores it from inside and out. He can shoot it from the perimeter plus work his way to the basket for a bucket. 12 points.    [player_tooltip player_id='1312612' first='AJ' last='Muandumba'] St. Mary's   The glue guy for the Knights is definitely AJ. He is a plus defender who will defend the 1-3 for them and he rebounds at a high level for his size. He will defend a bigger wing and will defend their top guards. He is good in transition and hustles for loose balls.     [player_tooltip player_id='831120' first='Seydou' last='Tamboura'] St. Mary's   A physical power forward had some nasty dunks on the night that were game changing. He rim runs, gobbles up rebounds, blocks shots and his skill has steadily improved over the years. He showed off a drop step plus a running jump hook shot. 20 points     [player_tooltip player_id='1312333' first='Kenny' last='White'] St. Mary's   A tough undersized lead guard can score and defend. He has quicker hands and he will rip pockets of his opponents. He smartly moves without the ball and can score with layups in transition, triples off the catch, floaters and had one nice crow hop. 16 points.    [player_tooltip player_id='1494967' first='Dylan' last='Novak'] ALA-Gilbert North   A scoring lead guard with an almost flawless ball rotation on his jumper. He has deep range on his three point shot and he has a deceptively quick first step to burst right by the defenders. He uses the pick and roll to his advantage and he has very good open court speed. He can score with pull-ups off the dribble and he has the long step thru in traffic to score or get fouled. The ball gets out of his hands in a hurry to make plays for others. He scored 34 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='1674294' first='McGuire' last='Andrus'] ALA-Gilbert North   A strong undersized scoring guard plays robin to Novak's batman. He is very fast in the open court and seems to bounce off of the defenders in the lane with his stocky frame. He is a tough competitor and can steal the ball from some of the best guards with his aggressive play. He made multiple driving layups in heavy traffic and he is sneaky athletic. He can also shoot the three off of the catch and bounce. 22 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='1674466' first='Connor' last='Morris'] ALA-Gilbert North   A long scoring guard with a pretty looking jumper. He looks a little taller then at Thanksgiving with at least one inch. He is a catch and shoot type with good size and length. He collects steals with his wingspan and he can also pull-up off the dribble from mid-range. A possible breakout candidate next year when Andrus graduates.      [player_tooltip player_id='1494969' first='Owen' last='Bell'] ALA-Gilbert North   A long and lean wing forward has an easy stroke from the three point line. He has a quick and compact release. He is active on defense and has some springs. He will block shots and rebound using his long arms and timing. He can score on put backs and once he fills in some more, he will be even tougher to handle.       Brandon Phelps SF 6'3 2024 ALA-Gilbert North   A super tough wing forward with real speed and athleticism. He seems to try and attack at will regardless of the outcome of a blocked shot or him scoring. He comes with his sturdy framed football body and is fearless getting downhill. He rebounds in and out of his area and he will defend most positions on the court. He committed early to Arizona for football as a WR.

On Friday, February 10th I attended the Round-2 match-up of the #2 4A American Leadership Academy-Gilbert Norh Eagles hosting the #18 4A St. Mary's Knights.