A very intriguing matchup on Wednesday night, as Hunter Huss traveled to Kings Mountain in what brought us an intriguing matchup between two big-time guards in Isaiah Tate and JJ Moore. The game started out slow, as Huss didn’t get on the board until the final minute of the first quarter and Tate was able to get going early, helping Kings Mountain get out to a 12-5 lead. But Huss started to find some rhythm more on offense and both teams started to pick up the scoring outing. Moore nailed a buzz-beating three to cut the lead down to three at halftime, with Kings Mountain leading 33-30.
In the second half, Huss quickly tied the game up at 33 but Kings Mountain was able to regain control and push it back to as many as 10 points in the third quarter. However, Huss would not be denied, chipping away throughout the fourth quarter and eventually getting it down to one. With a late turnover from Kings Mountain, it gave Huss one final chance for the win but Moore came up short and Kings Mountain came away with the 55-54 victory to remain undefeated.
Stats:
Kings Mountain:
Isaiah Tate 26 points
Matt Toms 16 points
Huss:
JJ Moore 24 points
Malik Corry 10 points
Standouts:
2022 Isaiah Tate (Kings Mountain): Tate was terrific and led the charge once again scoring. What he does so well is get out in transition, looking to score and turn defense quickly into offense. He did that on multiple occasions and finished strong but also was terrific in creating easy points from the free throw line, as he scored 10 of his 26 points from the line.
2021 Matt Toms (Kings Mountain): Toms really played well and helped in multiple ways on the court. He made plays on both ends of the floor, knocking down shots from outside, creating for himself, getting on the boards, and making plays on the defensive end. Just a player that can help in many areas on the court and played well.
2023 JJ Moore (Huss): Moore is a young guard that really needs to be taken serious with his game. He started out a little slow but started to find his offense, using his incredibly quick speed and reaction to get by defenders and he displays a lot more athleticism than expected. Just has a terrific ability to create shots for himself and uses his quickness to his advantage. Also, a relentless motor.
Other Key Notes:
- 2021 Malik Corry (Huss) was an aggressive guard that played hard on both ends. Showed good speed to attack the lane but also got after it on defense.
- 2023 Sincere Love (Huss) did a really good job getting on the glass. Created second-chance opportunities and made a presence in the paint on the boards.
- 2021 Marcus Odums (Kings Mountain) was relentless off the dribble and got to the lane on multiple occasions.