Five Key Questions: Magruder vs. Gaithersburg

<p><em>DERWOOD, MD </em>-- Gaithersburg outlasted Magruder 84-77 on Tuesday. The final score makes the game look much closer than it was. Gaithersburg led 56-30 heading into the locker room before Magruder's second-half surge. Here we relive this Montgomery County Public School matchup by answering five key questions.</p> <h5>HOW DID GAITHERSBURG LOOK WITHOUT JORDAN HAWKINS?</h5> <p>Good. The Trojans have good size in the front-court and a plethora of athletes on the wing. <strong>Jao Ituka</strong>, their standout junior guard, has morphed into a vocal leader and is showing the ability to make guys around him better. 2021 <strong>Mandela Tarke</strong> proved that he can make perimeter jump shots with his feet set and provide the spacing his team needs. As mentioned earlier, Gaithersburg could have won this game by double digits and probably should have given their impressive first-half start.</p> <h5>WHO STOOD OUT FOR MAGRUDER?</h5> <p>The Colonels were paced by their 2021 backcourt duo of <strong>Mike Myrie</strong> and <strong>Rashid Abudu</strong>, who combined to score 42 points. Myrie is an athletic freak who looks to get downhill aggressively and can finish with the best of them. Abudu is a shifty guard who can break down his man off the bounce, make plays for others, or create his shot. </p> <h5>HOW GOOD IS CHRIS KOUEMI?</h5> <p>D3's and D2's should be all over <strong>Chris Kouemi</strong>. He is a relentless rebounder and a versatile defender who can switch onto guards or cope with big bodies in the paint. On the offensive end, the 6-foot-4 senior, who plays much bigger than his listed height, has become a reliable spot-up shooter from three but is also a very capable finisher around the basket in traffic. </p> <h5>WHY WASN'T THE SHOT CLOCK UTILIZED IN THIS GAME?</h5> <p>Based on what we were told, the shot clock at Magruder was not working, therefore both teams agreed to play without it. While it did not have a significant impact on this game, one of the things we enjoy about public school ball in Maryland is the fact that they do utilize a shot clock as opposed to public schools in Virginia who don't.</p> <h5>WHAT IS THE OUTLOOK FOR EACH TEAM?</h5> <p>Both teams have a positive outlook moving forward. Magruder played this game without senior <strong>Chris Asamoah</strong>, one of their most important players and one of the best shooters in the DMV. Once they get him back, the Colonels should improve and be considered a contender in Montgomery County. As for Gaithersburg, they'll need to prove they can close out games more strongly, but I'm sure they will take a road win any day. </p>