5A Semifinals Preview: Desert Pines vs Bishop Gorman

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>This game will take place at Clark High School on Wednesday and tips off at 4:40 PM.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Desert Pines (11-9) vs Bishop Gorman (22-5) </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This will be the second meeting between Desert Pines and Bishop Gorman this season. I was there for the first matchup and Bishop Gorman won by a whopping 42 points. The final score was 86-44.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> A lot will need to go right if the Jaguars want to flip the script, but they have some young talent who might be capable of making this a tighter game. [player_tooltip player_id='2374347' first='Aaron' last='McMorran II'] shot well from 3 against Liberty in the Quarterfinals, and he's capable of dropping over 30 points (something he did 3 times this season). If he can get hot from beyond the arc, that should make his teammates lives easier. Another Jaguar who has been on a tear is fellow freshman, [player_tooltip player_id='1965156' first='Mike' last='Taylor']. He's been feasting in the paint recently and could get some of the Bishop Gorman forwards into foul trouble. [player_tooltip player_id='2468244' first='Jaden' last='Redding'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2111894' first='Tyler' last='Merto'] are also going to need to show up for Desert Pines. [player_tooltip player_id='2468244' first='Jaden' last='Redding'] has been a reliable rebounder all year, especially on offense. While [player_tooltip player_id='2111894' first='Tyler' last='Merto'] has picked up his play as the season has gone on, and has recently been averaging over 10 points per game. In addition to those underclassmen, Desert Pines has [player_tooltip player_id='986971' first='Prince' last='Davis'] at the point. Davis will need to come out with intensity, and he'll also need to be a wise decision maker. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bishop Gorman on the other hand, will look to return to the state championship game. [player_tooltip player_id='986960' first='Nick' last='Jefferson'] has been tough for opposing teams to slow down all season. He's also surrounded by a decent amount of shooting. Ilan Nikolv is one of the 3-point specialists and he torched the Jaguars for 11 points in the first quarter last time around. [player_tooltip player_id='1511462' first='Jett' last='Washington'] has also been providing some steady offensive for the Gaels since he returned to the lineup. I've noticed him going right through defenders and shooting over them. But he also had a decent outside shot that forces his opponents to guard him further out than they would like. Bishop Gorman likes to apply pressure with their athleticism and length, and that's where guys like [player_tooltip player_id='2047786' first='Kameron' last='Cooper'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1315766' first='Christopher' last='Baudreau'] may make an impact on the game. Cooper can come up with steals, and Baudreau is more than capable to racking up blocks. Then Gorman has some strong reserves to go to like [player_tooltip player_id='2370259' first='Terry' last='McKinney III'], [player_tooltip player_id='2370258' first='Dino' last='Roberts'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2086139' first='Tyler' last='Johnson']. When called upon, both have produced and made some plays for the Gaels this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Prediction: </em>Thinking this will be closer than their first matchup, but I give the edge to Bishop Gorman. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->