DIAA Quarterfinals: Howard vs St. Elizabeth

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the first of four quarterfinals games, the Vikings of St. Elizabeth took down the Howard Wildcats at Salesianum, 70-61. Here's who stood out:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2364682' first='Kiyen' last='Alexander'] | 5'7 G 2027 St. Elizabeth </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexander dealt with foul trouble early as he subbed in and out of the game. But he still managed to pop 2 pull-up threes. Then in the fourth, he took a steal coast-to-coast and hit a couple free throws to put the game away. 10 points and 2 steals </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2352508' first='Caden' last='Harris'] | 6'0 G 2025 St. Elizabeth</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Vikings' sixth man, Harris came off the bench and gave his team a boost in the middle quarters. He played without the ball, hit a three, and made few plays on defense. 10 points</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2422871' first='Da'Shaun' last='Holden'] | 5'7 G 2028 St. Elizabeth</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Holden kept the ship steady to help the Vikings build and maintain their lead. With his low center of gravity, he snaked in and out of the lane to maneuver past his man and bend the defense to his will. Holden was especial effective from the mid-range, in the third quarter, when he slithered to his spots and knocked down a few jumpers. 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2352340' first='Kenny' last='Hunter Jr'] | 6'4 W/F 2025 St. Elizabeth</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hunter Jr's first quarter explosion set the pace for the rest of the game. He got rolling with a steal before draining a pair of treys. From them on out, he chipped in a bucket here and there, while getting active on the boards. He didn't have to force the issue because he took advantage of his matchup inside the arc. His effort on defense was critical too. Hunter Jr contested shots and deflected passes on the lane. 22 points, 9 rebound, 3 steals, 2 blocks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2352456' first='Nick' last='Baysah'] | 5'10 G 2026 Howard</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After trying to swing the ball around the perimeter, the Wildcats found success by allowing Baysah to attack off the dribble. He repeatedly turned paint touches into drop-offs, kick-outs, or touch shots inside. He also capitalized on opportunities in transition to get easy offense for his team. 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2426914' first='Kaden' last='Brown'] | 6'0 G 2026 Howard</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wildcats got behind early, so Brown turned up his intensity on both ends. He routinely converted deflections into quick fastbreak buckets. When his man got by him, the two-way guard would instinctively reach around and back-tap the ball away. His 10 points in the fourth quarter helped Howard get within two scores of the Vikings. 21 points, 3 steals, 2 blocks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2352458' first='Bryson' last='Lane'] | 6'2 G 2026 Howard</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lane calmly played his game and maximized his touches on the perimeter using his jump shot. After grabbing boards and making connective passes, Lane got hot in the third quarter when he knocked down a catch-up three, then spun the block on the following possession and hit another one while trailing in transition. 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->