Phenom Hoops headed out for another eventful Tuesday, much like we have been doing since the start of the season as we headed over to Jay M. Robinson high school, as they were welcoming in Mallard Creek. Both teams have had good starts to the season, so it looked to be a very intriguing and underrated battle in the Charlotte area.
As the game started, it was clear early that Robinson was going to attack when they could, use their physical bodies on the court, and really look to attack and get into the paint.' That is what they did with three of their most physical prospects in 2023 6'6 Daevin Hobbs, 2023 Zi'Kei Wheeler, and 2023 Jermaine Gray.' Gray started out the scoring along with Hobbs while Wheeler really started to pick up his scoring impact late in the first quarter and in the second quarter.' Robinson was strong in scoring in the paint and attacking the boards, while hoping their full-court defense could create some havoc.' Mallard Creek took a little time to adjust, going down early but eventually crawling back into the game and staying within striking distance for much of the first half.' 2025 Jalyn Connor, a sharpshooter and shifty, quick guard to watch, made his impact with some big shots, while 2022 Bryson Davis, one of the senior leaders for this team, continued to show how effective of a scorer and playmaker he can be with the ball in his hands.' Robinson led 44-37 in a tight one at halftime.
Second half got underway and Robinson was able to expand their lead out just a little but Mallard Creek's guard play started to peck away at that lead.' The outside shooting and help on the boards were strong in the second half for Mallard Creek, as they eventually found themselves down by three at the end of three.' It looked like it was going to be a close one until the end.' No matter what team stepped up, the other would answer right back as we were trading baskets for much of the fourth quarter and both teams were making plays. Mallard Creek would have one more run in them late. With some key fouls late by Robinson, Mallard Creek was able to create multiple steals late, the first by Titus Cunningham ultimately ending in a throwdown at the other end to give the Mavs their first lead.' With a couple other defensive stops and buckets in transition, Mallard Creek eventually led 84-79 with 52 seconds remaining. With a few late buckets, Robinson did have one final chance down by three but the shot was off the mark and Mallard Creek won an absolute thriller 87-84.
Robinson: 21-23-20-19: 84
Mallard: 16-21-24-26: 87
Stats:
Mallard: Bryson Davis 25 points/ Jalyn Connor 23/ Titus Cunningham 14
Robinson: Jermaine Gray 21/ Zi'Kei Wheller 20/ Daevin Hobbs 14
Standouts:
2023 Zi'Kei Wheeler (Robinson): One thing about Robinson is that they have multiple guys that have an incredibly strong built and use it to their advantage. Wheeler was one of those, as the 6'2, 200-pound physical prospect was strong at getting into the paint and finishing through defenders or getting to the line. He did give us a glimpse that he can knock down shots from outside but he was most effective in the paint and on the boards.
2023 Jermaine Gray (Robinson): Gray was the other strong, physical prospect that has that football frame. At only 6'0, he did a tremendous job in attacking the paint, scoring all of his points around the basket, showing a good motor on the boards, and finishing well through contact.
2023 Bryson Davis (Mallard Creek): The junior guard is one of the leaders on this team and he stepped up in a big way. Davis continues to have a strong showing this season, scoring the ball well, creating for himself and penetrating the defense, while also being effective in finding his teammates for open shots. Davis continues to show that he can be a scoring threat from multiple levels and a leader on the court.
2025 Jalyn Connor (Mallard Creek): We are going to tell you now… this is a young freshman to keep an eye on but you can already label him as a shooter. We saw him during our open gym and labeled him as the best perimeter shooter on the team and he showed just that, along with his shifty ball-handling and playmaking skills. Finished with five 3-pointers and scored 23 big points for his team.