In the opening matchup of the Phenom MLK Showcase, Northwood Temple faced off with Calvary Day. The game was tight from the start. Northwood Temple was able to get the upper hand in the first quarter behind Julian Williams, Brady Rankin, and Jaquantae Harris. Northwood Temple finished the first quarter with a 22-15 lead.
In the second quarter, Calvary Day made their run. James Wilkins III continued to do a really good job of making plays for himself and others. In addition, Donovan Robinson came up huge, scoring 10 points in the quarter and fueling the Calvary Day comeback. Calvary Day was able to outscore their opponent 24-17 to tie the game up at 39 all heading into halftime.
Northwood Temple responded and began to take control of the game in the third quarter. Brady Rankin led the way with 8 points in the quarter, while Julian Williams and Jaquantae Harris both chipped in 5 points a piece. Northwood Temple led 62-49 at the end of the third.
Northwood Temple continued to build upon their run in the court quarter with several players chipping in and making their presence felt. Northwood Temple finished with the 99-67 win.
Final Score
Northwood Temple – 99
Calvary Day – 67
Northwood Temple Scoring Leaders
Julian Williams – 31 points
Jaquantae Harris – 20 points
Brady Rankin – 16 points
Yohann Axel Sam – 9 points
Calvary Day Scoring Leaders
James Wilkins III – 18 points
Donovan Robinson – 10 points
Zech Gibson – 8 points
Elijah Johnson – 8 points
Standouts
Julian Williams 6’8 2021 (Northwood Temple)
Julian Williams simply got it done on both ends of the floor. He was outstanding, finishing with 31 points. He is very difficult to matchup with. He is super explosive when attacking the basket. He is able to face up from the perimeter and drive opposing post players with his quick first step and ability to finish above the rim. He understands spacing around the rim and scores well off drop offs. Defensively, he is a beast on the glass. He is able to guard multiple positions and contest shots at the rim.
Jaquantae Harris 6’1 2022 (Northwood Temple)
Jaquantae Harris impacts the game on both ends of the floor. He does a really good job of picking his spots offensively and balancing his scoring ability with his ability to facilitate and get others involved. Offensively, he does a great job of creating off the bounce and attacking the basket. He knocked down multiple midrange pull-up jumpers. In addition, he continues to prove he can hurt you from deep, which opens up everything else.
Brady Rankin 6’3 2021 (Northwood Temple)
Brady Rankin continues to showcase his scoring abilities. He is able to knock down the perimeter shot at a high rate. He is also a really good athlete and attacks the basket strong, and will finish above the rim. He has a quick first step. He is able to get into the paint and make plays for others. He had several nice drop off passes to his post players for layups.
James Wilkins III 6’2 2022 (Calvary Day)
James Wilkins III is a tough, crafty guard who produced throughout the game, whether it was making plays for himself or for teammates. He consistently knocked down the three-point shot. He was able to create off of the bounce and get into the paint. Once he got into the paint, he would find ways to finish over taller defenders. He also made a beautiful baseline drive and drift pass to a teammate in the opposite corner for the catch and shoot three.