Phenom Hoops tuned in Thursday night to watch a very intriguing matchup between two strong teams in Roselle Catholic vs. Calvary Christian. Two teams loaded with talent everywhere you look, it was Roselle Catholic who jumped out early to a 12-point lead early in the first quarter, as shots were falling early. Ultimately leading 19-10 at the end of the first quarter, Calvary Christian was able to slow it down and get their offense going a bit more, eventually cutting into the lead by halftime and only being down 27-21.
From then on throughout the second half, Roselle Catholic was able to maintain that slight cushion throughout but Calvary remained right there, down a bucket or two for most of the half. Akil Watson and Simeon Wilcher led the charge in the second half, while Shon Abaev hit some big shots from outside for Calvary and Carl Cherenfant played big as well. Though Calvary Christian played well and battled throughout, they couldn't get over the hump and eventually Roselle Catholic took home the 69-64 victory at the Metro Classic.
Final: Roselle Catholic 69 – Calvary Christian 64
Stats:
RC: Akil Watson 20pts, 6rebs, 4asts, 3stls/ Simeon Wilcher 19pts, 4rebs, 3asts/ Sabestian Robinson 18pts
CC: Carl Cherenfant 20pts, 8rebs, 4stls/ Shon Abaev 19pts/ Jaylen Curry 10pts, 10asts, 5rebs
Thoughts:
2023 Simeon Wilcher (Roselle), the UNC commit, continues to impress with his feel for the game. Wilcher brings such intrigue with his feel, pace, size, and scoring ability. He really showed off his ability to get to his spots for his shot, scoring from multiple levels and creating for himself. But he plays with a smooth feel, playing at a nice pace, and being a playmaker with the ball in his hands. Wilcher's ability to mix it up with his ball-handling and scoring capability is impressive.
2023 Carl Cherenfant (Calvary) was another player that impressed in this game. The Memphis commit has good size, strong frame, and was effective in getting to his spots. He was effective in getting to his spots for his mid-range shot, but also finished strong around the rim, and was active on the boards.
2023 Jaylen Curry (Calvary), one of the top unsigned seniors, is a familiar name with us at Phenom Hoops, so it was good to see him back in action. Though it was a tough night knocking down shots, Curry continues to blow you away with his playmaking ability.' Elite speed and burst on the court, does a great job in knifing through the defense and finding ways to score around defenders and does an excellent job in seeing the floor and finding his teammates.
2025 Shon Abaev (Calvary) is a new name personally for us, but the 6'7 sophomore filled it up and displayed his shot-making ability, whether it was from the mid-range or from behind the arc. He has a soft touch and release, and did a great job in stretching the defense with his three-points shooting, as he went 5-for-8 from behind the arc.
2023 Akil Watson (Roselle), the Arizona State commit, just did a little bit of everything on the court, ultimately finishing with 20 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Scored in a variety of areas, ran the floor well in transition, finished strong at the basket, but also made plays off the bounce. Kind of a Swiss-Amy knife on the court.