Five Takeaways: Grace Christian versus The Webb School
The Rams of Grace Christian defeated The Webb School in a slugfest, 44-39. C.J. Gettelfinger lead all scorers with 21 points.
Grace closed the game with stout defense and the neccessary free throws (9-11 in 4th quarter). The end of the game lacked the typical fireworks of high intensity games. The Rams managed to squeeze the life out of the game and convincingly advance to Saturday’s final.
Defensive World-Beater
Sophomore Keon Johnson somehow defended 6-foot-8 Baylor Younker the entire game. The natural wing swatted away five shots, two of them spectacularly.
WOW! @iamkeonjohnson made a Mr. Basketball-worthy block to save a buzzer-beating fastbreak layup. He came from 4' behind the dribbler and whacked the ball sideways out of bounds. Incredible athleticism and timing. 15-14 @GraceRamsHoops after 1Q of play.
— Prep Hoops Tennessee (@PrepHoopsTN) March 1, 2018
Younker, a certain college prospect, finished with just eight points on 2-8 (25.0%) shooting. It is not easy for a 6-foot-8 center to miss 75.0% of his shots, but Keon Johnson made that a reality.
Keon and Kick
In the opening half Keon scored just two points. That is not to say he was ineffective.
The sparkling sophomore penetrated and found his guards around the arc. Johnson’s magnificent ability to finish collapsed four, sometimes five players. Numerous instances revealed that the threat of Keon scoring impacted play more than the act of Keon scoring.
As you would expect Keon accelerated his offensive outpout in the second half and delivered his customary point total.
2020 @iamkeonjohnson scores the first 4 points out of halftime. @GLed_35 answers with with wing 3. 26-23 @GraceRamsHoops .
— Prep Hoops Tennessee (@PrepHoopsTN) March 1, 2018
Keon should have taken more shots in the closing stanza. He made 8-10 field goals in the second half while his teammates converted just 1 of 11 attempts. Johnson scored 18 points in the second half.
Coach Recap: https://youtu.be/KH2vB-tCgYE
Grabby Grace
Grace Christian thrived on the offensive boards. In the first half alone the Rams collected eight offensive rebounds. Head Coach Brandon Clifford labeled the Rams’ 16 offensive rebounds a season-high.
Grace Christian dominated the glass throughout the game. They hauled in 36 rebounds to the Feet’s 19 boards.
The Younker Effect
Few Division II-A teams run out a legitimate center. Grace Christian is one of those teams though with Baylor Younker in the middle. Younker has a soft touch and obvious height advantage. Younger’s most successful pass came in the second quarter as The Webb School
Grace Christian plays Saturday afternoon against Lausanne Collegiate or Webb School (Knoxville). The game will commence at 3:00 P.M. Central in Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena.
For the best statewide basketball coverage follow @PrepHoopsTN.