Monster 4th Quarter Lifts The Meadows School to 3A State Title

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Meadows School, led by head coach Gary Hannig, and Fernley, led by head coach Cade Knutson, went to battle in the NIAA 3A State Championship yesterday.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was exciting right from the very beginning, with teams trading jumpers and threes. Especially toward the end of the first quarter. Bryce Dunagen-Stephens buried a three with limited time left to make it 13–12 Fernley. But [player_tooltip player_id='1817875' first='Grant' last='Moses'] then drove the floor and drew a foul. He made one of two free-throw attempts, and it was then even at 13.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Things stayed tight in the second quarter, and you could see the game becoming more of a chess match, with the defenses locking in a bit more. [player_tooltip player_id='2356155' first='Sheldon' last='Jacobson'] had a nice run, though, and helped the Vaqueros take the lead going into the break, 23–22. Jacobson and Dunagen-Stephens combined for 21 of those 23 points, while [player_tooltip player_id='2280840' first='Uzo' last='Nwapa'] was the Mustangs' leading scorer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Then in the third quarter, [player_tooltip player_id='2807101' first='Bodie' last='Parsons'] and Skyler Ledesma-James started to deliver on the offensive end for Fernley. Parsons went to work inside, while Ledesma-James drained two triples. Jacobson then capped off the Vaqueros' run with a huge dunk. The Meadows School called a timeout with 1:16 left, as they were down 36–29. [player_tooltip player_id='2447899' first='Alex' last='Hutchison'] then hit a 15-foot jumper to make it 36–31, which was the score going into the final quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hutchison and Nwapa then quickly tied things up for the Mustangs just a minute into the fourth quarter. And it was 36-36 with 7 minutes left. Hutchison then kept their run going, and hit a 3 to make it 39-36.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> But [player_tooltip player_id='2807101' first='Bodie' last='Parsons'] then responded on the other end with a bucket on the block. [player_tooltip player_id='1817875' first='Grant' last='Moses'] was the next Mustang to rise to the occasion in the 4th, making a big 3 to extend their lead to 42-38. Then Mustangs senior [player_tooltip player_id='2806804' first='Ryan' last='Kirk'] got to the middle and made it 44-38. All of a sudden they had a 6 point lead, after starting the quarter down 5. But Dunagen-Stephens then got a 3 to go, and it was 44-41. Kirk then got the ball again, and confidently sank a 3, silencing the Vaquero crowd. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However that silence didn't last long, as Jacobson then hit a 3. Making it 47-44 (Mustangs still leading) with 4:32 left. A timeout was then called and each team got a second to catch their breath. Out of the timeout, Jacobson was the first to strike, hitting a difficult contested shot in the lane. And it was then 47-46. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacobson then got the rock again, and made another clutch shot as he got to the cup. Giving the Vaqueros the lead back 48-47. But after a couple of offensive rebounds, the Mustangs guard [player_tooltip player_id='2812186' first='Patrick' last='Lewis'] responded with a floater in traffic to make it 49-48. [player_tooltip player_id='2807101' first='Bodie' last='Parsons'] then got on the block once again, and he dropped in a layup to make it 50-49. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However The Meadows School raced up the court, and [player_tooltip player_id='2280840' first='Uzo' last='Nwapa'] scored to make it 51-50 Mustangs. Both teams continued to keep fans out of their seats. As [player_tooltip player_id='2807101' first='Bodie' last='Parsons'] then gave the Vaqueros the lead back with yet another 2 inside. Moses then had a little bit of space on the wing, and he drilled a 3 to make it 54-52 Mustangs with 1:30 left. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Then Hutchison got the ball after the Vaqueros didn't score, and he made a crafty reverse layup to get it to 56-52. Fernley then came up empty handed on their next possession and [player_tooltip player_id='1817875' first='Grant' last='Moses'] was fouled and sent to the line. He went 1 for 2, it was 57-52 with less than 20 seconds left. Jacobson then launched a deep 3 but it didn't go. The Mustangs then advanced the ball up the court, and Nwapa dunked it with authority right before the buzzer. The Mustangs came out on top, 59-52, and they are officially State Champions.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2447899"],"_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-699b362e5863e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2447899' first='Alex' last='Hutchison'] dropped 11 points in the Mustangs' State Championship win. He was notably effective in the 4th quarter, operating near the free-throw line. He dished out several slick assists and knocked down a couple of outside shots of his own. In addition to his scoring, Hutchison went hard on defense and hunted down rebounds.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2280840"],"_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-699b362e586dd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2280840' first='Uzo' last='Nwapa'] gave the Fernley Vaqueros real issues with his size and scoring ability. He got to his spots and used his lift and high release point to shoot right over defenders. He also as mentioned above, put an exclamation point on the championship win when he got out ahead in the open court in the closing seconds and threw down a monster dunk. A fitting ending to the Mustangs' season. Nwapa finished with a team-high 18 points.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1817875"],"_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-699b362e587da"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1817875' first='Grant' last='Moses'] helped facilitate the offense for The Meadows School with his court vision and perimeter shooting. He handled the rock for most of the game and found his shooters for open looks. Moses also splashed in a few shots from beyond the arc, including one in the closing minutes that gave the Mustangs a three-point lead. The senior guard finished with 11 points.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2812186"],"_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-699b362e5875e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2812186' first='Patrick' last='Lewis'] was an X factor in the NIAA 3A State Championship with his jumper and three-point shooting. He hit critical, timely shots and showed poise in a packed Fernley gym. Lewis also utilized his athleticism to stay in front of his man defensively. He finished with 10 points<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1768793"],"_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-699b362e58855"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1768793' first='Bryce' last='Stephens'] jump-started the Vaqueros' offense in the first quarter by pouring in shots from three-point land and adding another bucket. As the game went on, he continued to look for opportunities and capitalized on a few more chances from long distance. Stephens also pestered opponents defensively throughout the battle and certainly left it all out there. He finished with 15 points.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2356155"],"_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-699b362e588ce"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2356155' first='Sheldon' last='Jacobson'] had the defense's attention much of the contest, but he still managed to make tough shots. One of his top highlights was a smooth turnaround jumper that fell. He also connected on three-pointers and finished a couple of aggressive drives. While the Vaqueros didn't grab the win, he was consistent all year and showcased his skill.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Stats - 20 Points <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2807101"],"_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-699b362e58947"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2807101' first='Bodie' last='Parsons'] stepped up for Fernley in a big way yesterday. He set solid screens, rolled well, and scored inside numerous times thanks to his touch and patience. Parsons also made his presence felt on the defensive end and collected rebounds. All in all, it was a strong performance from the power forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stats - 12 Points </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br><strong><em>Other Notable Performers</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2806804' first='Ryan' last='Kirk'] - TMS -Had 5 consecutive points</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Terrance Holmes - TMS -Came in and hit a 3 </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aidan Moses - TMS - Competed hard on defense and came down with boards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br>Skyler Ledesma-James - Fernley - Made 2 3-Pointers</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br><strong><em>Other Members Of The Meadows School Roster</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2806429' first='Caden' last='Campanella'] </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2050108' first='Ethan' last='Fink']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Xabian Causey</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cruz McNeal</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Veer Dhillon </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2695186' first='Benjamin' last='Chilton']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Triston Saxe</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2695258' first='Ethan' last='Schneiderman'] </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->