2017 Southside Showcase Thoughts

Its the 4th annual Southside Showcase.  Burnsville was this year's host to many south Minneapolis teams in the event.  7 games on the schedule with the younger levels playing across the hall in the new activity setup.  Here are some sights and sounds from the day.

Game 1: Cristo Rey 65 Minneapolis Edison 56
Tenzing Chime with 4 early 3s to help Edison jump out to a 24-8 lead midway thru the first half.  Cristo Rey would close that lead to 10 at half thanks to a couple Franklin Doyle 3s.  That continues in the 2nd half as the Pumas dominate.  Cristo Rey starts the 2nd half on a 11-0 run to take the lead.  The young backcourt duo of James Sommer and Erick Burgess leading the way for Cristo Rey.  Sommer with 17, Burgess with 15 for Cristo Rey.  Chime with 14 for Edison but all in the 1st half.

Game 2: St. Paul Central 69 Minneapolis Roosevelt 68
This one was a back and forth affair.  Central would take a 1st half lead but would be hampered by foul trouble.  That would allow Roosevelt to gain a 4 point half time lead.  Deszi Sims leading a 11-2 Roosevelt run with 2 free throws, 2 buckets on turnovers and an assist on a triple.  54-46 Roosevelt with 12:30 left.  But Central would counter with a 13-2 run of their own.  Dion Ford 2 buckets and 3 from Ronelle Porter for a 59-56 Minutemen lead with 7:21 left.  Then a Central Mokiller timeout and Roosevelt scores the next 6 to reclaim the lead.  Porter scores on 2 turnovers and Central goes up 3 with 2:40 left.  Roosevelt with 2 Leo Buchwald hoops to pull within 1.  Central misses 2 front ends and its Sims with the drive and scores with 6.3 left for the lead.  He misses the free throw.  Ball ends up in the front court for a Central timeout with 1.3 left.  Dion Ford screens and comes back to the post for the catch and immediate finish at the horn for the Central win.  Leo Buchwald with at least 25 and Deszi Sims with at least 21 for Roosevelt.  Ronelle Porter 19, Luke McElroy 17 with 15 3s to lead Central.  4 starters in double figures for Central.  Central with only 1 senior on the roster, its loaded with juniors.

Game 3: #6AA Brooklyn Center 78 Benilde-St. Margaret's 76
Another tight game throughout here.  7-0 Brooklyn Center run for an early 13-6 lead.  8-2 BSM run late in the 1st half.  The lead hovers in the 5-8 range as BSM just can't get over the hump.  Soph Walker Johnson off the bench with a pair of 3s and BSM is within 2 with 6:40 left.  But the Red Knights would not score a FG for the next 4 minutes and the lead is back to 8.  BSM would make 1 last push thanks to a couple of late Brooklyn Center turnovers.  But the Centaurs close it out with 5 of 6 at the charity stripe late.  Brooklyn Center's defense once again struggling, particularly on the interior where they don't have a presence.  Adreone Sprinkles with 3 bombs and 24 points to lead all scorers for Brooklyn Center.Lu'Cye Patterson with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for the Centaurs.  Joe Dunn leads the Red Knights with 20 points.  Riley Miller adds 17.

Game 4: Elk River 95 Minneapolis South 72
This one got out of hand early.  Jack Burger having his way inside. The game gets out of hand quickly for a 45-27 Elk River halftime lead.  It balloons to 27 before South's soph guard Curtis Jones goes on a run of his own.  That gets the lead down to 15 and we'll see the starters for Elk River again.  But the outcome is never in doubt.  Burger ends up with 27 points, Devon Robers 16 for the Elks.  Curtis Jones hits 5 3s and goes for at least 25 in the 2nd half alone.  But he didn't have much help on the offensive end.

Game 5: Minneapolis Washburn 80 Rosemount 58
Very little to say about nothing blow out.  Washburn with great 1st half balance on their way to a 26 point halftime lead.  Gavin Yares solid inside.  Isaac Lotz with 3 triples off the bench.  Add in interchangable parts like Charles Cook-Gordon. Terrell Adams and Crisean Cole on the wing for more options.  Rosemount got the expected offense out of Luke Siwek.  Also as expected, the question of who else can help the offense showed.

Game 6: #1AAAA Edina 88 #5AAA Delano 58
This was the showcase game of the day and it was the biggest surprise of the day.  Delano's Keegan O'Neill with a hoop on a turnover and a triple.  Delano down 11-9 at 11:03.  Then a 10-0 Edina run with an Anders Nelson jumper and triple.  That forces the 2nd Delano timeout of the half.  O'Neill breaks the run with 2 free throws before 2 more Nelson buckets.  Charlie Fischer 2 bombs and Delano takes their 4th timeout of the half as the margin gets to 17.  43-27 Edina at the break.

Calvin Wishart tries to bring Delano back.  He tips in his own miss and buries a triple.  Tigers within 51-40 with 12:20 left.  Then Edina pours it on in a big way.  Fischer another bomb along with a Dominick Ingram bomb.  Derek Techam scores for Delano and its within shouting distance at 59-44.  Zach Kloos for 3, Nelson with another hoop, Luke Glenna from deep plus a layup from Nelson.  Nelson to Kloos for 3 plus his own triple.  A block leads to an Ingram bucket and Kloos adds 2 hoops.  29-4 Hornets run turns this into a 40 point game when the benches empty with 3 minutes left.  Delano gets the last 10.  Anders Nelson outstanding with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists on my sheet for Edina.  Luke Glenna 11 and he hounded Calvin Wishart all night.  Charlie Fischer 4 triples for 12.  Zach Kloos 14 points off the bench.  Calvin Wishart with 18 points and 9 rebounds on my sheet but Glenna's hounding limited him to 5-16 shooting.  Derek Techam 14 points. Keegan O'Neill 10 of his 11 in the 1st half.  He caused foul trouble on all of Edina's bigs in the 1st half but Delano got so far behind they were never able to pound the ball into him where he had an advantage.  Edina's offense very fun to watch and a bear to defend with their player and ball movement and shooting.  Contrast that with the dribble oriented Delano offense that was very stagnant in this one.

Game 7: Robbinsdale Cooper 72 Burnsville 62
Very ugly game here but gotta love the small Burnsville band.  Cooper's pressure turned this into a scrambling messy affair which is exactly what they want.  Burnsville didn't handle it well at all.  Burnsville would hang around thanks to a 2-3 zone in the 1st half that helped hold Cooper without a field goal for almost 8 minutes.  But quick 3s from Jalen Miller and Jalen Justice would open the lead to 13 at half.  Trokon Massey with a layup, a putback and a pair of dunks as Cooper extends the lead to 49-30 despite a T on coach Bo Powell.  The bench is in and Burnsville rallies with a 13-0 run.  Lead is down to 6 with 8:25 left.  Onte Burns stops the bleeding with a 3 point play and 2 more Massey hoops push the lead back to double digits. Marcus Shepley's 3 and Ty Miklowski's hoop with 1:29 left cut it to 4.  Jalen Miller seals it with 4 free throws and a layup.  Miller ends up with 25 to lead all scorers.  Trokon Massey with 16.  Marcus Shepley with 19 to lead Burnsville.