Sights and Sounds from DMV Hoops Madness, p2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's the second part of my recap from this weekend:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Small-but-Mighty Rams from Central Dauphin </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Without their big man on Saturday, the Rams battled against two teams with legit size and held their own thanks to the play of LaSalle-commit Shakur Starling and diamond in the rough Khalil Roberts. They guarded up the lineup, using their strength to take on wings and forwards and to keep them off the glass. Starling also created shots off the dribble and played above the rim, while Roberts chipped in points in the paint and the occasional three. With their guard-heavy lineups, Jared Dolimpio was another difference maker. He generated transition opportunities and spaced the floor from deep.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>A Bright Light from the City School</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2029 Mason Owens would not be denied when his team faced Boys Latin. First he got going on defense, picking pockets for steals and flipping those into points for his squad. Then, after he saw his first jumper go in, it was lights out from there. Owens set up deep behind the three-point line and fired home a barrage of shots to help his team keep pace with the Lakers. Once they started running him off, Owens just went back to the mid-range where he knocked down tough pull-up twos. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Firepower down in South River</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2454546' first='Hank' last='Oxendine'] has a ratchet and it didn't take long for him to get warmed up. Pull-ups, spot-ups, off screens - Oxendine went ballistic on Sunday. Even after the first couple shots went in and the defense zeroed in on him, he kept getting loose to put his team up by double digits. And even when the opposing team cut into the lead, Oxendine still found ways to get to the cup and deliver for the Seahawks, eventually winning the game in overtime.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>St. Frances Guards Lead the Way</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers always have a stable of elite guards and on Sunday they were led by 2027s Terence Jones III and [player_tooltip player_id='2316556' first='Camontae' last='Griffin Jr.']. The fiery Jones III fueled them offensively. He was a team player, taking turns setting guys up, spacing the floor, and chipping in on the glass. But when it was money time. He took the game over. The coaches ran plays for him, but he also broke a few ankles to the baja on his own. There, he launched himself up to the rim with some spectacular finishes through contact to close out an intense matchup versus Springdale Prep. Not to be ignored, Griffin Jr., with his broad shoulders, brought consistent two-way impact. He gave opposing guards issues at the point of attack and came up with a number of deflections and boards on that end. With the ball in his hands, he snaked around defenders and rumbled into the paint before finding the open man. He kept the defense honest with the occasional bucket inside the arc, but he didn't have to score to help the team win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->