Concord Academy/Forsyth Country Day – Recap/Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the Ish Smith Showcase by Phenom Hoops kicking off last night, I was able to be in attendance to watch three good basketball games yesterday evening.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second matchup was between Concord Academy and Forsyth Country Day, two powerhouse contenders in their classes. Concord Academy started out w 4 threes in a row, 2 from [player_tooltip player_id='2740609' first='Lincoln' last='Raper'], one from [player_tooltip player_id='1742881' first='Sean' last='Birmingham'], and another from [player_tooltip player_id='1297327' first='Jake' last='Benham']. [player_tooltip player_id='1078979' first='Bobby' last='Cannon Jr'] stood out for FCDS as he attacked the rim and the O glass hard, and also functioned as good connector in their zone offense. [player_tooltip player_id='1976853' first='Jahon' last='Foster'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1556663' first='Q' last='Williams'] made tough buckets to bring the teams to a tie at the end of the 1Q, 16-16.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>FCDS took their first lead of the game at 21-20 early in the 2Q on a [player_tooltip player_id='854910' first='Draven' last='Pilson'] kick-out 3 pointer. However, it became a back and forth battle as Andre Rudy started making plays. Cannon also had to go to the bench with 2 fouls around this time. The Furies answered as [player_tooltip player_id='1976853' first='Jahon' last='Foster'] had some big time plays in a row to take 31-27 lead. Then the Eagles came back with a 7-1 run emphasized by a Birmingham jumper, and took a 34-32 lead into halftime.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cannon had a enermous slam to start the half, but Concord was just fighting harder on both ends of the floor to open 44-36 lead halfway through the third quarter, punctuated by Birmingham's two 3s in a row. Freshman JR Adams came in and nailed a 3, and aided by an acrobatic Cannon layup, the Furies cut it to 46-44 at 2:30 in the third. As the teams went back and forth, another Cannon layup gave the Furies their first lead of the quarter at 51-50 and forced a timeout from CA. FCDS kept their foot on the gas to take a 57-50 lead into the final segment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Concord couldn't cut the lead for most of the quarter until a FCDS technical foul let them cut it to 4. Cannon had a huge transition block but [player_tooltip player_id='2306038' first='Ian' last='Howard'] made a 3 off the offensive rebound to make it 65-62 with 1:13 to go.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gray Madiera stepped in to give CA a couple buckets as they played the foul game. Benham banked in a volleyball line 3 to make it 72-69 w 5.2 seconds as FCDS missed a free throw, but the Eagles could not get a steal and the Furies put the game away at the line for a final of 73-69.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1078979"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Cannon was the engine that made the Furies go last night, as he showed off as a slasher, rim protector, rebounder, and even a connector. His biggest detraction is a slight frame that doesn't allow him to bang as much with physicality, but he's got enormous length to finish around and over people. Showcased good looking jumper that looks like it can be a weapon soon. Looking like he can be a big time get for UNO.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1297327"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Benham is an absolute sniper, highlighted by his lightning quick release as well as parking lot range. His threes scattered across the game both kept the defense honest and gave a spark to his group when they went in. He's also a nice connector and facilitator when plays break down and he has the ball in his hands. Looking like someone college coaches should take a chance on soon.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1556663"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Williams played with tenacity and pace all last night as the point guard made things a nightmare for the Concord Academy defense. He pushed the ball in transition and made people guard him, which then allowed him to make plays for his teammates and get them open. He is an underrated connector that may be the key that makes this team go.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1976853"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Foster gave the Furies a spark off the bench last night, giving them 12 huge points when they needed it. He's capable in the mid-range and driving to the rim, and he also pushed the ball hard when he was asked to. His in between game makes it hard to guard him as he will u0022settleu0022 for the 12 foot pull up that is a good shot for him. He's a key piece to their title ambitions, and should be a target for next level schools.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"Andre Rudy","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"77244","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Concord Academy","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Rudy was a gamer last night that helped spark Concord's big runs during the game. He initiated the offense and acted as the point guard for most of the game, but also showed an ability to score the ball when he had one on one situations. His mid-range game was on full display as he made some exceptional reads around the free throw line.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-657dea6d16bac"} /-->