Phenom Hoops tuned in Friday night to get a glimpse of two teams flying a little under the radar. Myers Park brings in a young squad but the future looks strong, while East Mecklenburg is still figuring out how to put some wins together.
In the beginning, it was a struggle offensively for both teams, as neither team came out hot from the floor. East Meck scored first but Myers Park was able to hold the 9-6 first-quarter lead. The offenses started to get going through more in the second quarter. East Meck was eventually able to tie the game up at 15 in the second quarter but Myers Park started to put things together and increase their lead to double-digits late, eventually leading 30-18 at the half.
Second half, it was a struggle again offensively for Myers Park, as East Mecklenburg outscored the Mustangs 12-7 and was able to stay within striking distance at the end of the third, only finding themselves down 37-30. Myers Park though was able to finish strong, scored the ball effectively, and increase their lead back to double-digits. In the end, Myers Park took home the road win, 53-40.
Stats:
Myers Park:
Elijah Strong 14 points, 9 rebounds
Bryce Wicks 9 points
Nathanael Roberts 9 points
Dallas Gardner 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
East Meck:
Jordan Nevill 17 points, 5 rebounds
Kanye Johnson 7 points
Johnny Darling 7 points
Standouts:
2023 Elijah Strong (Myers Park): Like the growth that we continue to see from Strong. This game, he gave us a glimpse of a little bit of everything with his game. Strong moves really well all around the court, is comfortable in pushing the ball up the court, and showing that he can score from multiple levels. What we really liked was his unselfish play as well, making some terrific finds to open teammates and making the right decision. The versatile forward is one to really monitor in the 2023 class.
2023 Dallas Gardner (Myers Park): Another young guard for this team, Gardner plays well as a play-maker on the court. He has shown at times that he can be a scorer on the floor but also use his speed and gets downhill. In this game, shots didn’t fall but was still aggressive and got to the line, but also rebounded well at the guard position.
2023 Jordon Nevill (East Meck): Nevill has led the charge this season in scoring and did so again, as he was the most consistent threat for East Meck. He was able to create for himself, show that he is a shifty, quick guard that can get his shot up quickly with a soft touch. Also liked his movement without the ball, coming off screens and knocking down two threes’ in the game.