Crater 62, Willamette 57 (OT): Top Performers

<p>After battling from behind for most of the second half, Crater picked up a big time road victory against Willamette on Friday.</p> <p>The Comets, led by the inside dominance of <strong>Nate Bittle</strong>, held off a tough Willamette team that proved themselves as a contender in the Midwestern League by taking the game to overtime.</p> <p><strong>Luke Smith</strong> continued to drive the bus offensively for the Wolverines, who went 0-2 against perhaps the two top teams in 5A this past week.</p> <p>Crater, now having beaten both Churchill and Willamette, is a clear state title favorite as we head further into league play.</p> <p>Here’s our top performers from Friday:</p> <p><strong>Nate Bittle (2021 Crater) </strong>- Stats: 34 pts, 13 reb, 4 blk</p> <p>Friday’s matchup against the hard-nosed Wolverines was no challenge for Bittle, who used his 6-foot-11 frame to gain position inside and rattle off easy looks underneath. It wasn’t the junior standout’s best game shooting the ball from three-point range, but he was still able to show off his shooting ability with multiple pure midrange pull-ups. </p> <p><strong>Jayden Vranes (2020 Crater) </strong>- Stats: 13 pts,  2 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl</p> <p>Vranes had a great first half offensively, scoring ten points to go alongside three assists. The 5-foot-11 senior can attack off the dribble and finish at the rim well for his size, and his ability to step up as a scoring threat while Bittle attracts double-teams is part of the reason why Crater is so dangerous. Vranes is also clearly an experienced facilitator, controlling pace of play and distributing the basketball all night. </p> <p><strong>Luke Smith (2021 Willamette) </strong>- Stats: 19 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl</p> <p>Although Smith only went 5-for-18 from the field and turned the ball over four times, he still made a habit of drilling timely shots to keep the Wolverines involved throughout the game. Willamette’s offense can only go as far as Smith takes it, and when he’s struggling, things seem to stall. With a dangerous skill set from all three levels, the 6-foot-3 junior guard has been one of the most valuable assets in the Midwestern League so far this season, and his ability from three-point range in particular makes the Wolverines final four contenders.</p> <p><strong>Jose Yanez (2021 Willamette) </strong>- Stats: 13 pts, 1 reb</p> <p>The 5-foot-9 Yanez’ provided Willamette with a first-half offensive spark, knocking down four threes to lead the Wolverines to a 34-30 lead at the break. The junior guard went 4-for-7 from long range on the night, hitting shots in both off-dribble and spot-up scenarios. Yanez’ spurtability on offense could come up huge in March for Willamette, who will look to contend for both MWL and state titles.</p>