2019 4AAAA Semifinals Thoughts

Its a rare final playoff Monday of the season.  Usually this is an off night but thanks to the weather a bunch of games rescheduled for tonight.  That includes the 4AAAA semifinals with an early start in Hastings.  T-Rod and Stoney get whistles for the games.  Hot Dog and Powerade on the menu.

Semifinal #1: 2 CDH 81 3 Tartan 76
Early pace favored Tartan.  I like them going to 5 out curls with Antwan Kimmons being the top guy popping back.  Jaeden King with a crazy 3 point play and puts back his own miss.  He'll add a floater, a tough 2 and a big time 3 for a 25-14 CDH lead at the 6:17 mark.  Kimmons not letting Tartan go away.  He'll go coast to coast for 2 and add a pair of FTs.  M'akil Weems with a drive for a dunk and another nifty finish scooping around defenders for 2 more.  Tartan within 32-28 at the half.  Kimmons and King carrying the offenses but more help for King thanks to Amari Carter knocking down a pair of 3s in the half.

That theme continues in the 2nd half.  Critical sequence in the middle of the half.  Will Burke scoring in the post, Kimmons misses 2 FTs, King with a pretty cut for a layup, Kimmons misses a dunk after a steal and Ben Gallaher buries a 3 on the other end for CDH.  All of a sudden the lead is 13 with 9:30 left and Tartan is in deep trouble.  Kimmons keeping it interesting with a 3 point play and another bucket.  Weems with a nice backcut for a layup on a BLOB.  He's fouled, Tartan gets the board but misses an open 3 that would have cut the lead to 6 with just over 6 minutes left.

CDH closes from there.  Tre Holloman finds Carter running the floor for a layup.  Holloman adds a floater and then a frozen rope from halfcourt to Burke for a layup to push the lead to 64-50.  Carter adds another triple and another floater from Holloman keeps the lead at 13 with 2:37 left.  A couple late 3s don't matter and CDH advances.  Jaeden King with 27 points and 4 triples.  He hit a bunch of really tough shots.  Amari Carter adds 17 with 3 triples of his own.  He definitely has taken his game up a notch this season.  Quiet night for Curtis Jones adding 12 for the Raiders.  Antwan Kimmons leads Tartan with 41 points and 3 triples.  He was aggressive on the glass too.  Langston Binns turned in a great outing with 18 points off the bench.  M'akil Weems adds 13.  But 3 starters go for 1 basket until the final 12 seconds.  Just not enough offense for the Titans.  But CDH also shot it very well which didn't allow Tartan to take those and run the other way.

Semifinal #2: 1 East Ridge 64 St. Paul Central 52
Central flat out running East Ridge out of the building and out working them in the 1st half.  East Ridge with a couple of early time outs trying to get their bearings.  Dion Ford back to back hoops, Daveonte Davis pops a jumper and Khai West with a layup off a double clutch Ronnell Porter feed.  23-19 Central at 7:35.  East Ridge counters with a tough 2 and lob dunk from Kendall Brown.  Ben Carlson adds a putback, post hoop and a swat as East Ridge gets their rhythm.  West for 3 and then he'll leak out for a layup to put Central up 30-29 going to the half.

Second half is all East Ridge.  Carlson in the post.  Kendall Brown with his big height advantage on Porter bullies him in the post for 2.  Carlson with 1 bucket and then flashes to the elbow for another jumper.  Then a Carlson dunk. Courtney Brown scores and he'll add a 3 after a Carlson block.  49-39 East Ridge takes control.  Davis with a 3 and a nice cut from Ford cuts the lead to 5.  But the Raptors fly away with another Courtney Brown 3.  Kendall Brown with a free throw and an open court bucket.  Carlson caps the 8-0 run with a dunk.  57-44 East Ridge at that point and no more danger.  Ben Carlson with 14 of his 22 in the 2nd half as he was the major factor in East Ridge pulling away.  Kendall Brown with 16 points.  Courtney Brown with a pair of 3s in the 2nd half as part of the big run as well.  He finishes with 15.  Dion Ford leads Central with 16.  Daveonte Davis finishes with 14. 

The Final
East Ridge vs Cretin-Derham Hall part 3 for the 4AAAA section title is Thursday night in Hastings. East Ridge won both regular season meetings by double figures.  Jaeden King with 29 in the 1st meeting and did not play in the rescheduled game at CDH due to injury.  Ben Carlson and Courtney Brown had big games in both meetings.