Mid Penn Championship: Central Dauphin 53, Bishop McDevitt 52

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a thrilling back-and-forth contest, Central Dauphin came away with the narrowest of victories over Bishop McDevitt to walk away with the Mid Penn Conference title. The Rams got a bucket from junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2721481' first='Khalil' last='Roberts'] in the waning seconds to take the lead for good, and were led overall by junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2633131' first='Jared' last='Dolimpio'] with a game-high 21 points. Junior swingman [player_tooltip player_id='2632695' first='Kenyon' last='Portee Jr'] led the way for McDevitt with 15.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2721481"],"_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-698f7bfcca5aa"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Having already played hero just a few weeks ago with a wild buzzer-beater against Cumberland Valley, Roberts came up clutch once again with the game-winning bucket in the final seconds. As he'd done all night, he used his size and broad shoulders to carve out position inside and finish strong through traffic. Roberts scored 13 points while also showing some capability attacking advantages off the bounce and scoring off of faceups from the foul line area. He brings a blue-collar approach, shown through his activity on the offensive glass and versatility guarding across '1' through '4' on the defensive end. Despite being a bit of a tweener, he has the type of production and winning traits that tend to translate somewhere at the scholarship level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2633131"],"_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-698f8bb85d048"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Dolimpio playing in his former home gym, but the explosive guard would finish with a game-high 21 points, highlighted by 13-point fourth-quarter spurt that made much of the difference in the game. The Cumberland Valley transfer came out hot, knocking down a pair of early 3's, but lost his rhythm through the middle quarters as he struggled to connect from long range with his downhill ability stymied by a zone defense. He came alive in the 4th with another pair of 3's that got him going, following up with a series of athletic downhill buckets with the game hanging in the balance throughout the closing minutes. Dolimpio is still getting his feet under him after gaining eligibility midseason as a late transfer, but he was able to show the two-way juice he brings when he gets going.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2632695"],"_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-698f8bb85d0dd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Leading the way for the Crusaders as he's done throughout the season, Portee put together a workmanlike 15-point effort while coming up just short of the win. He thrived as an efficient and opportunistic off-ball scorer, showing a quick release as a shooter off the catch and consistent activity as a cutter to find easy buckets. The junior swingman made scrappy contributions across the floor game, particularly as a rebounder, and shows promising flashes off the bounce as an athletic straight-line slasher and occasional 1-on-1 shot creator. He should be on the radar of scholarship-level programs before too long with his versatile two-way impact.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2421234"],"_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-698f8bb85d1d3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Rams' leader throughout the season, Starling struggled a bit to find his rhythm offensively but still had his fingerprints all over the game while grinding his way to 14 points. With his downhill game limited in the halfcourt by a McDevitt zone, he established himself early as an off-ball threat from beyond the arc, showing smooth mechanics but streaky results as the game went along. Nonetheless, Starling shined defensively and in the floor game, using his standout athletic traits and nonstop motor to be a constant factor in passing lanes and as a rotating defender at the rim. He was constantly flying around the floor on both ends, finding soft spots within the zone and being the first to seemingly every loose ball. It was an impressive representation of how Starling can still impact a game without having his best offensive showing, an ability that bodes well for his translation to the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3433200"],"_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-698f8bb85d278"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Coming in off the bench to provide a huge spark for the Crusaders, Baker put together an impressive two-way performance while contributing 8 points. The freshman forward was impactful with his size and length around the rim particularly on the defensive end, where he stepped up as a primary rim protector and racked up a handful of blocks in the process. Offensively, he showed soft touch as a finisher around the basket with promising flashes of straight-line skill off the bounce and what looks to be a smooth shooting stroke from the free throw line. It's too early to speculate on his college level but after cracking our debut 2029 rankings last month, Baker continues to show that he deserves to be on the radar moving forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2889059"],"_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-698f8bb85d311"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Filling in a quintessential combo guard role between Jones and Portee, Denisco was a consistent offensive spark on his way to 12 points. He picked his spots but was decisively aggressive when he chose to attack, regularly finding his way into the paint off the bounce. He showed soft touch on his floater while keeping his eyes up to hit the dumpoff pass if help stepped up. Denisco also showed to be a capable catch-and-shoot threat from an off-ball role. He projects as a nice four-year contributor at the small-college level with his skill and toughness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2510468"],"_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-698f8bb85d37e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Taking on primary ballhandling duties for the bulk of the game, Jones impressed with his ability to handle pressure and control the flow of the game from the point of attack. He's quick and shifty off the bounce but decisive attacking his spots and making the simple read. Jones plays with a fun bounce in his step and shows flashes as a dynamic pullup shooter with quick elevation and range out to the arc. Defensively, he uses his quick feet to mirror the ball and throw the opposing offense off schedule. Jones should look forward to a debut in the next update of our 2028 rankings with a chance to emerge as a scholarship-level prospect down the line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->