The Playmakers Who Owned the 2A Semis

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">The 2A Semifinals delivered everything you want in March basketball: tension, toughness, and stars rising to the moment. LaFayette survived Red Bay in a defensive slugfest, 34-32 while Section outlasted Providence Christian in a thriller, 61-58. Now we get LaFayette vs. Section for the blue map. But before we turn the page to the championship, let's talk about the semifinal standouts who made their presence felt when every possession mattered…</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Bryant Harris</strong> (6'4/F/'26/Red Bay) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: bryantharris2424</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Bryant showed multi-level scoring ability as he made timely shots when buckets were at a premium in a low scoring contest. He had an efficient night from the field and led Red Bay in the scoring column. The moment was not too big for him nor did he shy away from making big plays down the stretch on both ends of the floor, especially with the huge drive with 19-seconds which many thought was the go ahead basket.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2978409' first='Dalton' last='Lowery']</strong> (5'7/PG/'29/Red Bay)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: dalton_lowery1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Dalton is a young and talented lead guard who did not allow the stage to bring out freshman inconsistencies. He proved to be a heady floor general who clocked valuable minutes, stayed within his role, took care of the ball for the most part, and did a solid job facilitating the offense. The PG spot for Red Bay is in good hands over the next three years, and, one thing is for sure, Red Bay, is in good hands moving forward with the duo of Khalil and Dalton.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2194652' first='Khalil' last='Luster']</strong> (6'8/F|C/'28/Red Bay HS)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: khalil_oneal</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Khalil had been on a scoring tear, but in a low-scoring contest, where defense took center stage on one hand, and players just struggled to score on the other, Khalil found himself finishing with just 9pts. He did show the potential with his size and skill that has him viewed as one of the highest stock rising players in the state. It is going to be interesting to see if he will be able to take another jump this off-season as he prepares to lace up with [program_tooltip program_id='2076576' first='Pro' last='One'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Kemare Harrington</strong> (6'0/CG/'27/LaFayette)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @KemareH3</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Kemare did not have the most efficient night from the field but he did enough in the scoring column to lead his team to a chance to play for the blue map. In a game where scoring was hard to come by, he found ways to score as he stayed aggressive throughout the contest. He was extremely tough to contain off the bounce and he was lightning quick which gave him an advantage in his one-on-one match-ups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2892687' first='Jake' last='Cloud']</strong> (6'0/CG/'28/Section)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: Jakecloud3</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Jake has been getting&nbsp; a lot of coverage since the start of the playoffs and it is deserving as he has led his team to a chance to play for the blue map. He has appeared in several of my articles including the most recent sniper school article, so feel free to take a look at that article for additional thoughts. The young talented guard was electric. He plays the game the right way and on the biggest stage of the year, he delivered a complete scoring performance and looked comfortable doing it. As I have said he is a true three-level scorer and keeps defenders guessing. LaFayette will have their hands full trying to contain him, because what will happen is when they press up to take away the jumper, he attacks off the bounce, while when they sag, he will make them pay from deep. It is going to be an interesting championship game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2832741' first='Brodie' last='Overdear']</strong> (6'4/F/'26/Section)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: brodie_overdear</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Many people are just now seeing what the Section community has seen all year, and that is the impact that Brodie has on the floor and how his energy and effort filters throughout the team. At 6'4 he was a mismatch throughout the game against Providence Christian as he impacted the game across the stat sheet with hustle plays, defensive activity, rebounding, and physical presence. He has a mature floor game and will be key as LaFayette will have to decide who to focus the majority of their attention on, Jake or Brodie.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1961231' first='Pearce' last='Boone'] </strong>(6'5/G|F/'26/Providence Christian)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @pearceboone12</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Pearce has proven that he was one of the most potent scorers in the state and what separates him is his shot-making versatility. He scores in a variety of ways and makes it look real easy at times. His ability to stretch the floor forces defenders to stay close, opening up space for his dribble drive attack, which is how he keeps defenders off balance and guessing. He has had a sensational career and has solidified himself as one of the best shot-makers that has played in the state.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->