Impressive Players: Sioux Falls Lincoln vs. Pierre

Pierre, SD - Coming into this game the Patriots from Sioux Falls Lincoln had a 2-2 record. On the other side, the Governors from Pierre had a perfect 4-0 record and they are ranked #3 in Class AA basketball. This one was all Lincoln. They took the early lead and they kept it the entire game. The Governors got down early 9-0 and they could never completely recover. Pierre did get the score down to 2 points a couple of times but that is as close as they would get. In the 4th quarter, Lincoln really got things going and pushed the lead into double digits. The Patriots brought the intensity on defense tonight, that was the difference in this one. They forced many turnovers and their defense led to efficient offense. LHS looked great in transition and they pushed the tempo with success. The Patriots had an exceptional team effort and they overwhelmed the Governors. Lincoln has a ton of size in the paint with 7’1" and 6’9", athletic wings, and 3-point shooters. I also really liked how they shared the ball with each other. An overall great game by Sioux Falls Lincoln! Pierre did have a very long Christmas break with no games, so they could be a bit rusty. Look for the Governors to bounce back quickly. Scores 1st quarter - SF Lincoln 18 Pierre 11 2nd quarter - SF Lincoln 38 Pierre 28 3rd quarter - SF Lincoln 53 Pierre 41 4th quarter (final) - SF Lincoln 74 Pierre 51 <h4>Top Patriots</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="963749" first="Elliot" last="Whitney"] (2023) |6-0 G| 16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, two 3-pointers, 4-4 ft’s. He showed off his shooting range by hitting a deep college range triple. Whitney scored a basket by grabbing his own miss and sticking it back in the hole. Elliot sprints the floor hard, he was rewarded by scoring baskets in transition. I liked the looks of his hesitation-move. I was impressed with a blow-by drive. Whitney was deadly from the FT-line tonight. He is an in-rhythm 3-point shooter and a playmaker when the ball is in his hands. In the second half, Whitney had an ankle-breaking behind-the-back move that impressed his teammates. His fellow Patriots got up off the bench and gave him a holler. Whitney is an all-around guard that you will want to watch this season. [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"] (2024) |7-1 C| 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2-5 ft’s. His stats were not crazy tonight, but Rock played an important role on defense tonight. He kept the Pierre players away from the rim because of his size and long arms. On offense, JT had the first bucket of the game. He is tough on the O-boards, I like how he reads and fights for the ball. Rock is an offensive rebound putback machine. I was impressed with how he followed his own shot and kept after it. Rock showed clean footwork in the post and a fluid left-handed finish with a defender in his face. [player_tooltip player_id="968180" first="Gage" last="Gohl"] (2022) |6-0 G| 4 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, two 3-pointers. He is a nice athlete that has good hops. Gage scored in transition and he stole the ball on defense. He had a pretty behind-the-back pass to Whitney that led to a bucket. It was a crafty pass and an unselfish play. Gohl hit a nice 3-pointer off a SLOB. He did it all tonight. I was impressed with his effort for loose balls and how he looked to set his teammates up for good looks. [player_tooltip player_id="968195" first="Khalil" last="Cisse"] (2022) |6-1 G| 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, two 3-pointers. He is another nice athlete and a playmaker. He stuck out early with a drive to the basket where Cisse split two defenders and scored a basket. On defense, Khalil forced TO's and caused problems for the Governors. I liked the way he ripped the ball away from an offensive player. On one of his 3-ball's, he shot it with a lot of arc and it went down perfectly. Much like the other Patriots, Cisse looked good and he scored in transition. Khalil did foul out, but he had a very nice performance tonight. [player_tooltip player_id="968208" first="Saif" last="Shah"] (2022) |6-3 F| 11 points, 5 assists, one 3-pointer. Shah is an impressive athlete. He got his scoring started with a short turnaround basket near the cup. Saif is great at playing fast and attacking. He impressed me by scoring and playing fast in transition. Shah is a scary player in up-tempo situations. [player_tooltip player_id="968200" first="Kyler" last="Dahl"] (2022) |6-2 G| 3 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, one 3-pointer. He had a nice night, Dahl did a little of everything. I like his game. Kyler had a clever steal and some very nice assists. He makes the easy pass and he doesn't force the issue. [player_tooltip player_id="1296085" first="Eli" last="Olson"] (2023) |6-1 G| 17 points, five 3-pointers. He was a hot-shot 3-point shooter tonight. I like the rhythm that he shoots with and his shot seems to be effortless. Olson had a great shooting performance tonight. Outside of his 3-point shooting, Eli scored because he was in the right place at the right time. One of his teammates was saving the ball from going out of bounds and they threw it way up in the air. Olson was waiting for it, and tipped it in for an easy two points. <h4>Top Governors</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="963751" first="Lincoln" last="Kienholz"] (2023) |6-3 G| 27 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, three 3-pointers, 4-4 ft’s. He is a phenomenal athlete. Kienholz won the opening tip against a 7-footer. He scored the first 8 points for the Governors. Lincoln had numerous explosive drives to the basket that he finished with a finger roll. He also had multiple fastbreak finishes where he just beat everyone down the court because Kienholz is such a star athlete. I was impressed with his shooting range, Lincoln cashed in an NBA range 3-pointer. He had another sweet pull-up triple. His mid-range pull-up also looked amazing. Kienholz will be attacking full speed and he can stop on a dime for a pull-up jumper. He looked flawless from the charity stripe. He also showed a quality spin-move and a nice step-back move. Kienholz really stuck out on a few rebounds where he exploded above everyone for the ball. He was down in the second half, but it looked like he was cramping up and Lincoln returned to the game shortly after. Kienholz is a very impressive athlete but he is also skilled with a good basket sense. He will be a fun player to watch every game this year. Make sure you watch Pierre and [player_tooltip player_id="963751" first="Lincoln" last="Kienholz"] this season! [player_tooltip player_id="963775" first="Jackson" last="Edman"] (2023) |6-7 F| 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist. He is an athletic lefty. He is a rim protector. Jackson had an impressive blocked shot, he swatted the ball out of the air like a fly. He stood out when grabbing an offensive rebound, he went over the heads of smaller Lincoln players and grabbed the ball without fouling them. Edman had a slick move around the basket, where is got inside position and scored a quick basket against the Patriots 7-footer. Jackson also had a smooth lefty baby hook shot in front of the rim. I was impressed with his right-handed baby hook shot, it was a very nice move. Matthew Hanson (2022) |6-4 G| 4 points, 3 rebounds, one 3-pointer, 1-2 ft’s. He has the potential to stretch the defense. Hanson hit a deep lefty wing college range 3-pointer. Christian Busch (2023) |6-4 C| 4 points, 2 rebounds, 0-2 ft’s. He is a big, thick, and strong forward. Busch had a nice turn-around post-up basket. He certainly has potential. Cade Kaiser (2024) |6-2 G| 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2-2 ft’s. He shoots it with a soft touch. Cade looked quick when driving to the basket for a score.