Region IV JUCO Title Game: Triton vs Kankakee

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saturday night I watched the Region 4 NJCAA Championship game between nationally ranked Triton and Kankakee College. It was a very close contest that came down to the final moments of the game. Triton would edge out a victory with a 79-76 final. Here are the top players from the game.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tolu Samuels 6'7 (Triton) Sophomore</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Former Hillcrest standout had one of his better-scoring nights for the Trojans. Samuels is a versatile wing that role changes from game to game. He was more of a scoring threat with slick drives to the bucket finishing some shots with high-arching layups off the glass. When off the ball he had two big dunks cutting hard on the backside of the defense. I think a big surprise in this game was Tolu connecting on two three-pointers. He finished the game with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Samuels can be a low-major standout.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dayjuan Anderson 6'2 (Triton) Sophomore</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The UAB commit had a slow start only hitting one three in the first half but by the second half he found his shot and went on a scoring spurt himself. Anderson scored off some iso floaters and stop-and-pop jumpers. He also drained a three to expand Triton's lead. He finished with 16 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kaiden Space 6'1 (Triton) Sophomore&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kaiden is a former Simeon standout who looked smooth throughout the game. He was solid in his role as a combo guard. Strong mid-range shots and a few slick drives to the basket. He scored 13 in the win. Has a chance to become a low-Major or high division 2 player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Khylan McKennie 6'1 (Kankakee) Sophomore&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A lightning-quick guard who pushed the pace for the Cavaliers all night. Scored a lot of transition plays after Triton make or missed. Khylan just lived in the paint most of the game flipping in shot after shot. His speed and body control helped him get to the line several times and finish three-point plays. McKennie led all scorers with 22 points. He has a D2 skill level because of how hard he plays and how well he finishes consistently.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Santana Flowers 6'4 (Kankakee) Freshman&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Flowers has a very efficient game seeking out mismatches in the post and scoring easy buckets early in the game. Santana was efficient most of the night scoring on 7 of 10 shots. The former Bloom product has a tremendous upside because he is athletic but knows how to keep things simple. In a championship game, you don't expect many freshmen to produce as he did. Flowers will see his role expand when he returns next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->