DIAA Semifinals Action: Primetime Wings and Forwards

While the guards had some of the flashier performances Wednesday night, it was the frontcourt players who were instrumental for their teams. Here are the five who has tremendous performances:    Awahmukalah battled through some adversity of his own and came out victorious. He initially started out hot, knocking down a catch-and-shoot three and popping for a mid-range jumper. The under-the-radar forward also created havoc on defense. Then, after getting in foul trouble and sitting most of the third quarter, he bounced back with a pair of crucial rebounds and four free throws to tally 11 points, 5 boards, and 3 stocks (1s 2b).     Johnson almost took over the game with his impact on the boards. From the first shot that went up, he muscled the rebound away from the Wildcats all game long. And when it was on offense, he made two and three jumps to get the putback. The longer he was on the floor, the stronger he got. Johnson's game then expanded to post ups, including a nice baby hook shot in the third. His defense got tougher too as he began swatting shots in the fourth. He paced Dub P with 12 points, 22 boards, and 2 blocks.     With the Hawks gambling at the point of attack and forming a wall in front of the rim, Little used his in-between game to exploit all that space at the second level. Whether he got to spots on his own or caught the ball around the elbow, he cashed a bevy of jumpers and touch shots. His ability to shoot over contests made St. Georges pay for being so aggressive and allowed the Senators to keep pace with them on the scoreboard. He put up a game high 24 points, plus 5 rebounds and a steal.     The reigning Gatorade POY energetically asserted his dominance on defense and offense. Every time someone shot the ball in his vicinity, Obiora hit “return to sender,” including on attempts outside the paint. On the glass, he battled relentlessly to keep the ball away from Dover and get it back for the Hawks, including a few putbacks for himself. And whether he had a head of steam on the break or someone served the ball up to him on the block, Obiora finished everything on his plate. He had a monster game, putting up 22 points, 10 boards, and 9 stocks (3s 6b) as he willed his team to victory.     With 10 points and 2 steals of his own in the first quarter, Ried's urgent start was emblematic of how the rest of the game would go. His ability to use his immense wingspan away from the basket clogged passing lanes and crescendoed into him getting a couple fastbreak buckets. The story of the second quarter was Reid dominating offensive glass with multiple second-chance points. After that, Reid limited Dover's points in the paint by deterring drives and making his presence felt when he got tested. He finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 stocks (2s 2b).

While the guards had some of the flashier performances Wednesday night, it was the frontcourt players who were instrumental for their teams. Here are the five who has tremendous performances: