Five Takeaways: Grosse Pointe North vs. Warren Woods Tower
On the first day of the L’Anse Creuse North Crusader Classic, Grosse Pointe North and Warren Woods Tower gave fans an exciting opening game. Tower held a three pointe lead entering the fourth quarter, but North senior Troy Herd wasn’t…
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Continue ReadingOn the first day of the L’Anse Creuse North Crusader Classic, Grosse Pointe North and Warren Woods Tower gave fans an exciting opening game. Tower held a three pointe lead entering the fourth quarter, but North senior Troy Herd wasn’t going to let that stand, as he scored 10 of his team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter to secure a 63-57 victory. North will play Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Dec. 28 at 6:30 p.m.
Grosse Pointe North’s length will give opposing teams problems
The Norsemen have a ton of length and that gave Tower problems throughout the game. Instead of working into the paint, the Titans settled for a lot of 3-pointers. North used its length very well to block passing lanes, block shots and tip balls out of bounds. However, you could see the advantage in the rebounding category. North out rebounded Tower 35-15 in the game. Tower was getting one shot and that was all, while the Norsemen were able to cash in on second chance opportunities. That length will be a great asset for them.
Matt Bills is an assassin
Bills got into some foul trouble, which forced him to sit out most of the first half, but before he picked up those fouls, he was knocking down shots. In the opening quarter, Bills hit four 3-pointers and finished the game with seven. He scored 23 points and grabbed three rebounds. North kept losing him in the corners and on the wings, and Bills was making them pay for it. He has a silky smooth stroke and really helped keep the Titans in the game.
Troy Herd dominates fourth quarter
Herd was outstanding in this game for North, and he was the main reason the Norsemen were able to come out on top. Herd scored 10 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and made sure his team was going to advance to the championship game. Herd is an excellent ball handler, passer and cutter. He was great at breaking the Tower press and without him, North doesn’t win this game.
Joey Rheaume is a very good basketball player
Rheaume won’t get a lot of the headlines because he’s not a flashy player, but he is a very solid all-around player. He ended the game with 10 points and 12 rebounds, including a huge tip in that helped clinch the victory. He is very good off of the ball and helps keep his teammates involved. He’s not going to score 20 a night, but he will do the little things that help you win.
Lee Veasley can ball
Bills was great from outside but Veasley was the Titans’ best player in the game. He was handling the ball, cutting, scoring from all over the court and playing solid defense as well. He finished the game with 17 points and two rebounds. Veasley was the second best player on the court behind Herd, and he is a very solid player that can do a lot of different things. He can play all over the court and impacts the game in a lot of different ways.