Five Questions: East @ Olive Branch
Like two bullies unwilling to back down Olive Branch and East scrapped seemingly all night Friday in the Penny Hardaway Hoopfest.
Olive Branch captured the win 73-70 with a few more made free throws late. James Wiseman (#1 in 2019) missed all seven free throws he took in the game. Four of them occurred in the final two minutes.
Will D.J. Jeffries explode?
Not really. Defensively, the elite 2019 wing played wonderful.
Offensively, he was hardly a problem in the halfcourt operations of Olive Branch.
He finished with 15 points, but 11 points came from the free throw stripe. In all, the Conquistadors converted 24 field goals and D.J. scored just two of them.
Can Olive Branch keep East from owning the lane?
East runs out two of the best bigs in the state. Many teams severely struggled to keep James Wiseman out of the paint. Malcolm Dandridge is a ferocious low block behemoth in his own right.
For the first half Olive Branch proved especially stout on the defensive glass and collapsing on post touches too. They physically conveyed a comfort with the Mustang three-point attempts.
The post feed made immediate resistance. In fact, James Wiseman truly got a single nice attempt in the first quarter.
Dandridge was forced to create off-balanced shots to get the ball up to the rim. The hosts just collapsed and swarmed the lane. Also, D.J. Jeffries (Olive Branch) sent more than a couple shots back.
Olive Branch wins. final box pic.twitter.com/AKQlcQ7dJS
— Prep Hoops Tennessee (@PrepHoopsTN) January 6, 2018
As the game moved into the second half, the Quistors’ frenetic defense slowed somewhat. Whether the power of Mustang bodies clattering against them or a drained adrenaline tank justified the drag it did happen.
East owned the third quarter.
The final word though is that East scored just eight points in the paint for the night.
What style of play would the game take on?
Bruising.
The raw power of both squads is frightening. Guys like Alex Lomax, Shamar Brown, Kelvin Allen (Olive Branch), D.J. Jeffries, and Malcolm Dandridge appear college-ready for the weight room.
As the two teams struggled for inches in the lane bodies battered against each other. Over and over. It was a physically draining game for both teams.
Of the two teams, the East High Mustangs endured the pounding better. Olive Branch appeared to lose their collective legs a little in the second half.
It took made free throws to set the two teams apart late.
Would East be able to keep the Conquistadors from ramping up with the crowd energy?
Somewhat.
East is startling quick and long. Still, Olive branch players grew up with these guys. They have competed with and against the Mustang players since childhood.
final minute East at Olive Branch!! https://t.co/wxCfkR7tzt
— Prep Hoops Tennessee (@PrepHoopsTN) January 6, 2018
There was no fear in the eys or bodies of the hosting Conquistadors. Jeffries never backed off the low-post shots.
Speed of play slowed dramatically in the second half. Still, East allowed too many points in transition, predominately from the hands of Jeffries and Joe Cooper (19 points, 7-11 FG’s).
Would Alex Lomax assert his case for best point guard in 2018?
Lomax is easy to cheer for. Rock solid physically and emotionally, the floor general just wins basketball games. The hot house of Olive Branch needed somebody to keep East calm and composed. Lomax is the guy most of the team looks to when things get out of control. He has a steadiness about him. Also, he is usually holding the basketball when East trudges up the floor after a painful basket.
In the first half, Lomax scored 10 points. All of the East points took heroic efforts to manufacture. The team struggled from the perimeter and Wisemn sat most of the half with two fouls.
Final stat line: 1-9 FG’s. 13-13 FT’s.
Lomax did finish with three assists, but facing a ferocious backcourt he controlled tempo as he should. He didn’t hit any outside shots, but that isn’t his imperative. Alex Lomax also encouraged Wiseman after his fourth missed free throw in the final stages.
He is a true leader.
It is hard to peg him as the best point guard in the state off this single outing though. He will play better and has played better numerous times already this season.
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