The 12th MaxPreps Holiday Classic continued its Open Division competition on Saturday at Rancho Mirage High School (Calif). The four Northern California teams in the division repeated their day one results with just one win on day 2 as well.
Sacramento 66, Saddleback Valley Christian 55
Sacramento was the lone winner in day 2 from Northern California as they wore down Saddleback with 38 free throw attempts. Sacramento took a 14-10 first quarter advantage as sophomore guard Sayvon Hines had two of his three 3-point makes in the quarter. The Dragons extended their advantage to 27-22 at the half as Solomon Young was more aggressive and more effective than day one as he had 17 free throw attempts in the game. Saddleback took a lead midway into the third quarter but Sacramento had a 13-4 run to close the quarter with a 43-39 lead. The Dragons' physical play in the fourth quarter allowed them to stretch the lead to a 66-55 victory.
Saddleback had players with height but not with the same length and size as Sierra Canyon that posed problems for Young. Sacramento's interior depth could be exposed if Young gets into foul trouble. Young had 13 of the team's 31 rebounds and Saddleback hacked him to prevent easy scores in the paint. He made 11 of 17 free throw attempts.
The Dragons had seven players who scored more than seven points in a balanced effort. Hines leads the team in the two games with 26 points, including six 3-point shots. Sacramento moves to 7-2 and continues on in the 9th place bracket with a matchup against Rufus King High.
Rufus King (WI) 62, Archbishop Mitty 57
Mitty had the interior size advantage but the guard play was a deciding factor early on. King would take leads of 18-10 and 31-23 after the first two quarters as guard Jordan Poole made five 3-point baskets in the game including three consecutive to start the second quarter. The Monarchs would come as close as 40-38 in the third quarter before losing the game.
Mitty's point guard play was spotty at stretches as they turned the ball over in spurts. The team does not have a true point guard to direct the offense or to break the press. Dakari Monroe is an athletic guard who had a few breakaway steals and plays pressure defense but is not a pure point guard.
Mitty drops its second straight game and are now 5-2. They face Saddleback Valley on Monday who matches up well against the Monarchs both inside and outside.
Damien 68, Folsom 62
Folsom came out sluggish and trailed 19-11 after the first quarter to a more active and athletic Damien program. Jordan Ford was aggressive in looking for his perimeter shots as he helped the Bulldogs pull back from a 38-32 halftime deficit and 53-49 disadvantage. Folsom's 6-foot-9 post Colin Russell looked less tentative in the second half as he helped the Bulldogs to tie the game at 61-61 late in the fourth quarter before losing 68-62.
Folsom has looked flat at the start of both games. They face Issaquah (WA) and should have the size advantage but need to match their guard play to avoid losing a third straight game.
Mater Dei 70, Moreau Catholic 51
Mater Dei is the No. 2 seed in the tournament and the defending state champions. The size advantage was evident as they won every quarter against Moreau Catholic. Moreau cut the deficit to single digits several times but never really threatened to regain the lead. Center MJ Cage set the tone in the interior for Mater Dei, as they were able to kick out for many open shots including eight 3-point makes.
Oscar Frayer was effective scoring inside and outside as he had 20 points including two 3-point shots. He was aggressive and used his athleticism against a bigger Mater Dei frontcourt. The Mariner guard play was aggressive but had many turnovers and was smothered by the bigger Mater Dei team.
As an undersized team, the Mariners will need to win the perimeter shooting battles to be successful. Moreau Catholic evens up to 4-4 as they play in the 5th place bracket on Monday.
Players of Note
Ben Kone 6-foot-8 F Archbishop Mitty (2016): Kone had 23 points in the loss but was effective offensively in all phases as he also had a 3-point make. Against a team with no one taller than 6-foot-5, Kone could have dominated more as his height and athleticism was superior.
Solomon Young 6-foot-7 PF Sacramento (2016): The junior is physical and aggressive in the paint and with his rebounding. Young will be an active defender and rebounder on the college level. His offensive skills development will be critical to taking him to the elite status of players. During the two days, he would often just bull his way to the basket but could benefit from some finesse post moves or a mid-range jumper in his offensive arsenal.
Oscar Frayer 6-foot-6 SF Moreau Catholic (2016): The junior had 20 of his team's 51 points. He looked the least intimidated or frazzled of the Mariner players on the court. The Cal commit is playing out of position in the paint, but should benefit from the gained versatility of battling bigger and taller players like Cage.
Colin Russell 6-foot-9 Post Folsom (2015): The Portland commit has not looked consistent in the first two games so far. He seems to be bothered by contact and pressure in the post. He is Folsom's most legitimate post presence and will need to increase his intensity in order for the Bulldogs to make another postseason run.
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