BBall123
03-10-2010, 12:34 AM
Midland 79 Zwolle 78, Final/OT
Rapides 83 Fairview 75 Final
I was at both games today. And I will provide an unbiased opinion on the games.
Midland and Zwolle was a very fun game. Midland got up early and had a 43-28 halftime lead thanks to great shooting in the 2nd quarter. Zwolle came out in the 3rd quarter pounding the ball down low to Frazier and got back into the game quickly, even taking the lead at one point in the quarter. However, Midland took a 55-52 lead heading into the 4th.
It went back and fourth down the stretch, but Zwolle had their chances to win at the end. They missed a point-blank layup and didn't convert their free throws. Midland executed very well down the stretch and also had an opportunity to win in the final seconds of regulation, but Miles Prejean didn't get off a very good look and the game eventually went into overtime. Midland controlled things in overtime, and ended up taking a 79-78 win. Zwolle hit a 3 at the buzzer to get within one, and there was some contact on the shot which could have been called a foul and given the Hawks a chance to tie it with a free throw. It was definitely a situation in which it should have been a "no-call," but it was incredibly stupid of any Midland players to even go near a player attempting a 3 in the final seconds while you have a 4 point lead. I know Midland's defensive mentality for the last 30 years has been in-your-face defense, but I was just baffled when such a smart, fundamentally sound team like Midland did something like that at the end of the game.
But in the end, it was a well played game by Midland. I'm not one to beat around the bush, I think Zwolle is the better team. Midland made at least 12 or 13 3-pointers in this game, including 7 from Allen Fontenot who only averages 7.6 points per game on the season. I know Midland shoots the ball well, but the Fontenot kid was just unconscious today.
Midland also got a great came from B.J. Cormier. He had 30 points and hit clutch shot after clutch shot. He is an incredibly smart player too. Breion Beaver also had a good game for Zwolle.
As for the Rapides/Fairview game, it was never really in doubt. As I expected, Fairview really came out shaky early. None of their shots were falling until very late into the game, when Jake Howard started hitting some threes as a result of some soft Rapides defense. But overall, it was a game that was controlled by Rapides from start to finish. They killed Fairview with offensive rebounds, and also got a lot of run out layups off of Fairview missed shots or turnovers.
C.J. Johnson and Tremain Woodruff played very well for Rapides. These two players killed them on the glass and finished a lot of easy baskets down low. Guard Keldrick Timothy also had a very good game for Rapides. When Rapides gets good guard play, which they almost always do, they are going to be very tought to beat. Because the inside game is going to be there. Rapides is very solid and talented at all five positions on the floor.
Fairview really didn't look good today. Granted, their best player Cody Neal (26 PPG) was in foul trouble for much of the game, but I honestly don't think it made that much difference in the outcome of the game. Fairview tried to go inside out for open 3-point shots, but they were just not very sound on the offensive side of the ball until very late in the game, when Rapides had softened up on the defensive side of the ball. Fairvew was making weak passes out of traps while trying to break the press, they made a bunch of bad passes to shooters which cost them open looks, and they didn't box out well at all. Rapides was defintely bigger and more athletic, but the box outs weren't very crisp. In the end, Fairview just turned it over way too much to stay have a chance to win this game. If they had a lot of dead ball turnovers things may have been different. But Fairview's turnovers led to easy opportunities all afternoon for Rapides, and the Mustangs capitalized.
The Midland/Rapides final will definitely be interesting. Rapides should win, but if Midland shoots the ball as well as they did this afternoon against Zwolle, look out. I just think Rapides' inside game (which is stronger than Zwolle's) will be too tough for Midland to handle. I do expect the game to be close in the 4th quarter, though. State Championship prediction: Rapides 75 Midland 66
Rapides 83 Fairview 75 Final
I was at both games today. And I will provide an unbiased opinion on the games.
Midland and Zwolle was a very fun game. Midland got up early and had a 43-28 halftime lead thanks to great shooting in the 2nd quarter. Zwolle came out in the 3rd quarter pounding the ball down low to Frazier and got back into the game quickly, even taking the lead at one point in the quarter. However, Midland took a 55-52 lead heading into the 4th.
It went back and fourth down the stretch, but Zwolle had their chances to win at the end. They missed a point-blank layup and didn't convert their free throws. Midland executed very well down the stretch and also had an opportunity to win in the final seconds of regulation, but Miles Prejean didn't get off a very good look and the game eventually went into overtime. Midland controlled things in overtime, and ended up taking a 79-78 win. Zwolle hit a 3 at the buzzer to get within one, and there was some contact on the shot which could have been called a foul and given the Hawks a chance to tie it with a free throw. It was definitely a situation in which it should have been a "no-call," but it was incredibly stupid of any Midland players to even go near a player attempting a 3 in the final seconds while you have a 4 point lead. I know Midland's defensive mentality for the last 30 years has been in-your-face defense, but I was just baffled when such a smart, fundamentally sound team like Midland did something like that at the end of the game.
But in the end, it was a well played game by Midland. I'm not one to beat around the bush, I think Zwolle is the better team. Midland made at least 12 or 13 3-pointers in this game, including 7 from Allen Fontenot who only averages 7.6 points per game on the season. I know Midland shoots the ball well, but the Fontenot kid was just unconscious today.
Midland also got a great came from B.J. Cormier. He had 30 points and hit clutch shot after clutch shot. He is an incredibly smart player too. Breion Beaver also had a good game for Zwolle.
As for the Rapides/Fairview game, it was never really in doubt. As I expected, Fairview really came out shaky early. None of their shots were falling until very late into the game, when Jake Howard started hitting some threes as a result of some soft Rapides defense. But overall, it was a game that was controlled by Rapides from start to finish. They killed Fairview with offensive rebounds, and also got a lot of run out layups off of Fairview missed shots or turnovers.
C.J. Johnson and Tremain Woodruff played very well for Rapides. These two players killed them on the glass and finished a lot of easy baskets down low. Guard Keldrick Timothy also had a very good game for Rapides. When Rapides gets good guard play, which they almost always do, they are going to be very tought to beat. Because the inside game is going to be there. Rapides is very solid and talented at all five positions on the floor.
Fairview really didn't look good today. Granted, their best player Cody Neal (26 PPG) was in foul trouble for much of the game, but I honestly don't think it made that much difference in the outcome of the game. Fairview tried to go inside out for open 3-point shots, but they were just not very sound on the offensive side of the ball until very late in the game, when Rapides had softened up on the defensive side of the ball. Fairvew was making weak passes out of traps while trying to break the press, they made a bunch of bad passes to shooters which cost them open looks, and they didn't box out well at all. Rapides was defintely bigger and more athletic, but the box outs weren't very crisp. In the end, Fairview just turned it over way too much to stay have a chance to win this game. If they had a lot of dead ball turnovers things may have been different. But Fairview's turnovers led to easy opportunities all afternoon for Rapides, and the Mustangs capitalized.
The Midland/Rapides final will definitely be interesting. Rapides should win, but if Midland shoots the ball as well as they did this afternoon against Zwolle, look out. I just think Rapides' inside game (which is stronger than Zwolle's) will be too tough for Midland to handle. I do expect the game to be close in the 4th quarter, though. State Championship prediction: Rapides 75 Midland 66