Owasso vs Edmond Memorial Standouts
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The top squad from the 918 made a visit to the 405 on Tuesday night, with some of the top sophomores in Oklahoma on display. Owasso would lead by double digits for a large portion of the game, but Edmond…
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Continue ReadingThe top squad from the 918 made a visit to the 405 on Tuesday night, with some of the top sophomores in Oklahoma on display. Owasso would lead by double digits for a large portion of the game, but Edmond Memorial was able to rally in the fourth. But Owasso never gave up the lead with a 52-44 victory.
Here’s a look at the performances of those sophomores and other prospects in the competitive contest.
After a slow start, Montonati had a good drive with a controlled stop in the lane for two points. Which was quickly followed up with a jab step, one dribble stepback to gain space and drill a three pointer over the defender’s out stretched arms. It was the start of a strong scoring stretch that would carry over into the second frame. He drilled a three in front of the Edmond Memorial student section, then used his outstanding body control and a pumpfake to draw a foul on a drive. The sophomore is already a master at drawing fouls, with various moves to get opponents off their feet and unbalanced. He’s a very heady scorer for his young age.
Unsurprisingly, Montonati’s clutch gene kicked it in a with a tough and persistent 8 footer that put Owasso up by 4 with about a minute left.
Franz opened the game showing he’s comfortable operating off the ball. He flared to the top of the key and in one quick, fluid motion caught a passed and drained a three pointer to open his scoring. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the sophomore struggled with his shooting from distance the rest of the contest. But that didn’t discourage the composed guard, as he was able to get downhill against the trees Owasso has for forwards. He has a knack for finishing high on drives, getting good arc and favorable bounces on his layup attempts. With developing leadership and playmaking skills to go along with his rock solid scoring abilities, he continues to impact the game like an upperclassman and not just a sophomore.
Early on, the big man consistently used his height advantage on the low block with post ups and offensive rebounding. After he got it going around the rim, he then stepped out and showed his floor spacing ability with a triple. Kerr also continues to have strong verticality principles to contest shots at the rim. But foul trouble would hamper him in the second half and prevent what could’ve been a huge day from a production standpoint.
Still, this performance serves as another benchmark of his improved competitiveness around the rim from last year. And Kerr is set up for a strong end to his junior campaign before a pivotal spring and summer for his recruitment as he competes nationally at the 17U level.
The shots weren’t falling early for Williams, but he stuck with it and got the points flowing a bit to end the second quarter. It started with a nice steal and score, then he took advantage of a switch on a ball screen and had a strong contested finish at the rim just before the first half horn sounded. His second half was quieter, as he never found a rhythm from three.
Pedulla remains a strong, physical and efficient finisher around the rim. It just seems to be a family trait to have the ability to shake off contact and make tough finishes look easy. Most of his damage on the night was done on drives with the occasion 6-10 footer as well.
Lechlider was the aggressor early for the Rams, with a good take and mid-range score to start the game. But then foul troubled disrupted his first half. He started the second half with a similar spark, with another great drive and finish at the rim.
Then in the final frame, he has a pair of impressive steals and scores, including one outstanding finish where he was undercut but no foul. This was a great sign for Owasso in their hopes to compete for the Gold Ball, as the senior has the potential to apply a lot of pressure on the defense via his driving ability, which would ease the scoring burden and defensive attention around their other standouts.
Also a football standout, Peck provided a spark in the second half by playing bigger than his size against Owasso’s impressive frontline. He provided some crucial rebounds on both ends of the court, including a putback that cut it two in the fourth quarter. The senior looks set to be a crucial depth peice for the stretch run, especially when the Bulldogs match up with bigger squads.