5 Takeaways: Morgan Park vs Hillcrest
Last night game between Morgan Park and Hillcrest was intense and fast paced from tip to the end in the Sectional Semis. Hillcrest jumped out to an early lead and held it for most of the first half. Morgan Park…
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Continue ReadingLast night game between Morgan Park and Hillcrest was intense and fast paced from tip to the end in the Sectional Semis. Hillcrest jumped out to an early lead and held it for most of the first half. Morgan Park stayed close until the 4th quarter when they finally took the lead and never looked back. Final score was Morgan Park over Hillcrest 73-69. Here are the 5 Takeaways: Morgan Park vs Hillcrest!
Battle of the Boards
It’s no secret that Hillcrest and Morgan Park are two of the most athletic teams in the state of Illinois. Hillcrest has a front line of three 6’6” guys in Julius Rollins, Hamahrie Bowers, and Jakobi Heady. All of them are springy and possess great second jumps. Morgan Park also has guys in the 6’5” to 6’6” range who can go get it. But they were definitely more physical in their approach. The Mustangs wings/bigs Brandon Weston, Isaiah Burrell, Aneas Davenport, and Lidell Miller just out muscled the Hawks at times keeping plays alive after missed shots around the rim. The play of Weston really kept Morgan Park in the game for the first half.
Tale of Two Halves
Adam Miller played two different games last night. In the first half he didn’t look to shoot much or didn’t get to the ball often as Hillcrest sent different defenders at him. He was face guarded, denied, and often used as a decoy. He scored a layup and made two free throws in the first half. In the second he asserted himself early getting in the lane connecting with a floater then a pull up jump shot. He also showed life on the defensive side forcing Hillcrest’s guards to make mistakes where he converted two easy layups and dunks in transition. Miller would score 13 points in the 2nd half and finished with 17 points overall. That second half effort will be needed to get down state for 3rd time in 4 years for Morgan Park
Too Much Pressure
During the season both teams use high up tempo tactics guarding 94 feet with ball pressure. But it was clear the referees weren’t having that. In the early quarters both teams were in the bonus and neither team decides to back down. In the end two major players for Hillcrest in Julius Rollins Julius Rollins 6'7" | SF Hillcrest | 2021 State IL and Mar’Keise Irving both fouled out early in the 4th quarter in what was still a two point game. These two never changed how aggressive they played and in the end it hurt them. As they could have been bigger factors in the four point loss.
Mar’Keise Irving?
Irving started out the game with two big three pointers in the game which forced Morgan Park to speed up and cause some turnovers early. He was active and helped the Hawks start out with a +10 lead. But with foul trouble it led him to the bench and he was never able to get back in the flow of the game offensively. Using most of his energy on defense Mar’Keise wasn’t able to score and that played into the hands of the Mustangs.
Freshman Impact
In the 3A rivalry game Hillcrest and Morgan Park both inserted freshman that had some impact on the game. Morgan Park used Javonte Taylor and Darrin Ames. Taylor used his length to slow down Hillcrest at times while Ames made a pair of big three pointers to keep MP in the game. Both players have huge future ahead of them especially to play in an intense game like this one and not be rattled. Not to be out done Hillcrest also put two freshman guards on the floor when their top guys were in foul trouble. Bryce Tillery and Kamarion Cobb are both guards at about 6 feet. They did a good job handling Morgan Park’s full court pressure. Tillery got a little more playing time in the second half when Irving fouled out. He made a big shot from behind the arc to keep Hillcrest close in the final seconds of the game. Both programs have a bright future ahead with these young guys on their roster.