The Final Four in each division of the NCISAA playoffs took place on Tuesday night and one matchup we were watching was Crossroads Christian as they traveled to take on Greenfield. Coming out early, Greenfield looked poised and ready early, led by their duo of Aaron Murphy and Hampton Evans. They came out strong and attacked offensively while the Knights played their pace on both ends. It helped them jump out to an early double-digit lead and eventually opened a wide gap early on after the first quarter, 26-7.
The offense continued and even picked up, as both teams really shot the ball well in the second quarter. The outside game picked up for both, with Andres Prince leading the charge for Crossroads Christian with multiple threes while Murphy continued to operate so strong on the floor, helping Greenfield to a 55-36 halftime lead.
In the second half, it was much of the same as Greenfield continued to expand their lead to 30+ points in the third and never looked back. The Knights shared the ball, pushed the pace, and played their style of game to ultimately secure a chance for a championship on Saturday afternoon, winning 98-64.
Standouts:
- 2022 Aaron Murphy (Greenfield) is such a unique prospect and looks to be a man on a mission, going out on top as a senior. For someone his size, his ability to score around the basket is something special, getting defenders in the air, finding ways to finish, but also playing nearly all positions on the court. He led the charge early and scored in a variety of ways, as he couldn’t be stopped.
- 2022 Andres Prince (Crossroads Christian) had his outside game going in this one. Though his team was down early, he continued to step up and play extremely well, really showing his outside game as he knocked down big shot after big shot from three to help his team stay within striking distance.
- 2024 Hampton Evans led the charge with 25 points and he scored in a variety of ways. Though he did a tremendous job scoring inside and out, it was his IQ, his smart decision-making, and ability to impact the game in an array of ways. The sophomore just simply continues to produce and more light should be shed his way.
- I liked the assertiveness and play from the guards for Greenfield, with 2023 Matt Kirby, 2023 CJ Alston, and 2023 Kyshon Atkinson (among others) continued to play at a great pace and attack, putting the pressure on Crossroads on both ends of the court. 2023 John Henderson Jr (Crossroads) played well, using his 6’4 frame and athleticism to attack the basket consistently throughout the night.