It was a conference battle between two of the top teams in the state, as Chambers hit the road to take on North Meck. Round 1 was off the charts, and Game 2 brought a packed house. Early on, it was more of a defensive battle for each team, as Chambers was able to get out to a narrow 11-9 lead at the end of the first. 2024 Jordan Patton was the one leading the charge with seven early points, while 2023 Christian Foy led the way early for North Meck. Second quarter, much of it was the same, as neither team was able to get easy shots. 2024 Isaiah Evans started to get going more and ended up with seven points in the half, but the play of Patton and 2024 Maurio Hanson led the charge for Chambers, taking a 23-17 halftime lead.
Second half, Chambers was able to break the game up a bit more, as the senior Nick Dorn came alive with two big threes and And-1, eventually pushing Chambers’ lead to double digits and havering around the 15-point mark late in the third. Chambers was able to take a 46-33 lead into the fourth quarter, and North Meck continued to battle and was able to get it down to as many as nine points around the 2-3 minute mark. But Chambers was able to put their stamp on the game, as Hanson and Patton (combined for 15 points in the 4th) were able to put the game away and seal the 67-52 road victory.
Final: Chambers 67 – North Meck 52
Chambers: Jordan Patton 25 points/ Maurio Hanson 18 points/ Nick Dorn 11 points
North Meck: Christian Foy 17 points/ Isaiah Evans 13 points/ Trey Maxwell 10 points
Thoughts:
- 2024 Jordan Patton (Chambers) continues to show how much of a difference-maker he can be. Patton is simply one of those players that does what is needed, and on Friday night, he was able to be an enforcer offensively, used his size to finish and get to the rim, impact the game on the boards, and make his presence felt on both sides of the ball. Made so many winning plays and stepped up big for his team.
- 2024 Maurio Hanson (Chambers) was excellent with his play on both sides of the ball. He created havoc defensively in the paint, standing strong and making it tough for North Meck to get easy baskets, but also attacked the boards well, boxed out and be physical, showcase his footwork and feel in the post offensively, and made TERRIFIC passes to his teammates. Was really impressed with his overall feel.
- 2023 Marcus Brown (Chambers) might not be the offensive show, but I will give him extremely high praise for what he did defensively. He guarded Evans much of the game and really created a ton of havoc, contested all shots, and limited his ability to find clean shots throughout the game. His defensive impact really set the tone.
- 2024 Isaiah Evans (North Meck) continued to look for his shots, but shots didn’t fall like they did last time. But he still showed that he is such a tough matchup with his size and ability to shoot over defenders, as he hit some pretty tough shots from all over and finished with 13 points.
- 2023 Christian Foy (North Meck) is such a versatile player on the court and can be used is a variety of ways. He is skilled enough to create off the dribble, he can step out with his mid-range shot, and find ways to score around the basket and be a force on the boards. A program could use a player like him.