On Saturday, Phenom Hoops traveled to Greensboro Day School to see the hometown Bengals host the Asheville Christian Lions. Both teams have seen somewhat of an unusual start to their respective seasons, but things have begun to get back to normalcy over the last month or so. Greensboro Day appears to have hit their stride, as they entered this contest on a six-game win streak (which included five by double-digits). Meanwhile, Asheville Christian is among the more interesting teams in the state, as they have no clear-cut leader and try to hurt the opposition from various different positions. They’ve had more success than many people would’ve predicted after losing Caleb Mills, which is mainly due to quality coaching and their overall unselfishness.
This contest opened up somewhat slow, but appeared to have the makings of a competitive game, as Greensboro Day only held a one-point lead after the first quarter. Unfortunately, that’s where the fun completely stopped and Asheville simply had no answer for anything being thrown their way. The Bengals utilized the second quarter to mount a 24-4 run and absolutely take control of this game. Asheville Christian was simply unable to keep up with the nonstop scoring flow of Greensboro Day. The Bengals claim this victory 67-28 over the Lions of Asheville Christian.
Greensboro Day:
6’3 ’21 Carson McCorkle
The smooth-shooting guard prospect continued to do his usual thing on offense, showcasing the ability to score from all three levels and make the fundamentally-sound play whenever possible. However, McCorkle played with a newfound level of anticipation and prowess on the defensive side of the ball, seemingly jumping into every passing lane and causing problems for opposing ball-handlers. He was also awarded with his 1,000-point ball at halftime, which is an impressive feat, as McCorkle has been at GDS for less than two full seasons. Final stats: 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 steals.
6’3 ’21 Cam Hayes
This was arguably the most balanced showing from Hayes all season, as he consistently set up his teammates and showed craftiness with the ball in his hands. He made fantastic reads throughout this contest, but was especially terrific in transition. Hayes scored the ball efficiently without forcing the action and continues to make strides in his development as a true point guard. Final stats: 7 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals.
Asheville Christian:
6’7 ’21 Tre’Lin Harper
The lone big man for ACA did everything possible to battle against GDS’ fairly deep frontcourt rotation. He’s big, strong, and fights hard for every single available rebound, which is exactly what this squad needs. Harper drew plenty of fouls and scored decently well from inside the paint, but the Bengals’ length prevented him from ever taking over on offense. Final stats: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 steal.