Mt. Carmel vs Archbishop Spalding-Top Performers

Colby Giacubeno March 13, 2021 @ 10:36 AM

Last night at Mt. Carmel, the Cougars hosted the Cavaliers of Archbishop Spalding in what was a matchup between two one-loss programs. After holding a 20-points lead in the third quarter, Spalding mounted an impressive comeback and had the last shot as the final buzzer sounded, but ultimately came up short by a final score of 80-79. Mt. Carmel improved to 10-1 in the win as Spalding falls to 9-2 overall. Here are the top performers from last night's contest. [player_tooltip player_id="837927" first="Cameron" last="Whitmore"] | Spalding ’22 Whitmore was the game’s high scorer with 30 points and continues to make a strong argument for player of the year. People are quick to point out Whitmore’s weakness in his jump shot, but if you’ve seen him at all this winter then you know that weakness is a thing of the past. Defenses now must account for him on the perimeter and he’s becoming comfortable shooting off the dribble when his man gives him space. Whitmore cashed in on four triples, three of which came in the first quarter and set the tone for his individual performance for the remainder of the game. The 6-foot-7 wing attacked the rim consistently and finished athletically, embracing contact on his way. Toby Nnadozie | Mt. Carmel ’22 When Nnadozie is rolling like he was last night the Cougars are a tough team to beat. The 6-foot-3 guard finished with a team-high 22 points and at one point was hosting his own dunk contest throwing down back-to-back dunks in transition to give his team momentum. Like Whitmore, Nnadozie’s flaw coming into this season was his jumper, but he too has improved in that area and it showed last night with his lack of hesitation in each release. [player_tooltip player_id="904628" first="Deon" last="Perry"] | Mt. Carmel ’22 Perry continues to steadily produce and be the straw that stirs the drink for Mt. Carmel. The 5-foot-8 guard finished with a double-double that included 17 points and 11 assists. Any time Spalding lost focus on ball screens or in weakside awareness, Perry made them pay with three’s or drives to the rim to draw fouls. He controlled the pace of the game throughout and kept pressure on Spalding’s defense in transition. [player_tooltip player_id="837931" first="Kevin" last="Kalu"] | Mt. Carmel ’21 Kalu continues to log double-doubles and did so lsat night with 12 points and 16 rebounds. The 6-foot-8 unsigned senior is simply relentless on the glass and it doesn’t matter if it’s offensively or defensively. His man has to account for him any time the ball is shot and Kalu has hung his hat this season on outworking any big that has been put in front of him. [player_tooltip player_id="837924" first="CJ" last="Scott"] | Spalding ’22 After a lackluster start, Scott performed when his team needed him most and was a big reason why they were able to mount a comeback effort. The 6-foot-5 guard recorded 18 points in the loss and was at his best operating off the dribble and attacking the basket. He did a nice job of using his size to overwhelm the smaller Mt. Carmel guards and get into the paint to finish with soft touch on floaters or contested layups. [player_tooltip player_id="1127307" first="Andrew" last="Dixon"] | Mt. Carmel ’24 Dixon is making a strong argument for being a top freshman locally in his class. The 5-foot-10 guard is fearless on both ends, but what impressed me most last night was his ability to operate off the dribble against pressure. Spalding tried to speed him up, but Dixon stayed at his own pace, performed a combo move or two to create the necessary space and either attacked the paint or converted on mid-range jumpers. He chipped in with 15 points, eight of which came in the fourth quarter to help Mt. Carmel hold onto the win. [player_tooltip player_id="904646" first="Tyheil" last="Peterson"] | Spalding ’22 Peterson followed up Whitmore and Scott with 16 points of his own. He manufactured those point by making frequent visits to the free-throw line and cashing in at a decent rate. Seven of his 16 came in the fourth quarter to help Spalding tie the game with less than five seconds to go. Aside from Whitmore, Spalding came out ver sluggish and Peterson had some questionable turnovers along the way, but he corrected his play as did Scott with a big time second half. Mitchell Kalu | Mt. Carmel ’23 If you haven’t seen the little Kalu brother play yet, I urge you to find some film. They both are some of the most determined rebounders you’ll find. Kalu collected four offensive rebounds that he quickly scored on with his quick second jump. The 6-foot-4 sophomore finished with 12 points and provided the toughness that Mt. Carmel needed in the paint next to his brother Kevin.