Bluffton Prevails in a Heated Affair with John Paul II

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>USE CODE “baxley30” FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the biggest matchups of the week in the [program_tooltip program_id='2078736' first='Lowcountry' last=''] was the return fixture between Bluffton and John Paul II. Bluffton won the first game 54-51 at their place back on December 5th, and completed the season sweep of the John Paul II with a 58-56 win on Tuesday. This game featured multiple technical fouls and lead changes over the final minutes of the game, living up to all of the hype of this cross-town rivalry. Check out my five biggest standouts from Bluffton's win over John Paul II: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1742053"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-694303a97bd36"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1742053' first='Harrison' last='Skinner'] is back in South Carolina for his Senior Season. The former Top 25 prospect is one of the best Point Guards in the state this season, and despite not getting close to his 20.0 PPG average on Tuesday night, he was still clearly the guy whom the Bobcats trusted late. Harrison is comfortable running the offense under ball pressure and in crunch-time situations, and he also really picked up his defensive activity in the fourth quarter to help Bluffton get a few crucial stops. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2716377"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-694303a97bde5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Fresh off an MVP Performance at the North-South High School Football All-Star Game, Aedan was back on the hardwood to help his squad pick up a big win over John Paul II on Tuesday. He had 17 points in the game, including 12 in the second half that helped the Bobcats take control of momentum. McCarthy has good positioning in the paint and will look to float along the baseline for open spaces. Aedan can also work with his back to the basket because of his strong frame. He doesn't have the ball in his hands enough to display his translatable passing skills, but when there are opportunities for long transition passes, McCarthy is not going to miss. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2634956"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-694303a97be4e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Warren is McCarthy's go-to Wide Receiver on the football field, and you can tell there is some chemistry with them on the basketball court as well. Carnell was arguably Bluffton's best player in this game, putting up 16 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals in the win. He scored or assisted on 6 points of an 8-0 run at the start of the third quarter, flipping the game and gaining tons of momentum for the Bobcats. Warren does a great job of turning defense into offense because he can rebound and push the ball in transition, jump passing lanes, and finish with authority at the rim. He was also effective in the half-court in this game, finishing through contact and hitting his teammates with a few excellent passes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2480071"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-694303a97bea0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Despite Bluffton having several big bodies to match up with him, Sean was still dominant for JPII despite the loss. He got going by slipping a screen for a finish in the paint, then started to work more with his back-to-the-basket as the game went on. Phalen is also an excellent passer and will kill you on the glass if you don't box him out, both of which will pose issues for opponents once the Warriors get to SCISA play. He doesn't get many opportunities to be a jump shooter in this system, but Sean did show a smooth stroke on his 6 free-throw attempts and could turn into a decent shooter before he enrolls at the next level. Phalen finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks in the loss. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3240752"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-694303a97bee8"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Despite being just a Freshman and not having the biggest role on this team, it felt like a lot of good things happened because of Fripp on Tuesday Night. Most of those good things were tough buckets, like up-and-under lays and skilled mid-range pull-ups, but he also picked his spots to help get key rebounds on the defensive end. Leiland is well-drilled in how to attack a defender, so once he adds the feel as a playmaker and grows into his frame, he has the chance to be a very good player for the Warriors. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->