Davidson Day and Carmel Christian started the day off in an exciting matchup. Davidson Day found some early rhythm, especially from the outside as Donovan Atwell knocked down some early 3-pointers and Blane St. Clair finished strong at the rim to create an early double-digit lead. But Carmel Christian was able to respond in the first quarter to eventually take the lead and get right back into the game.
In the second quarter, Justin Taylor and Ben Burnham started continued to push the pressure on offense and attack the defense, eventually helping sustain a small lead throughout much of the quarter. At half, Carmel Christian led 31-25.
In the second half, Carmel Christian continued to attack, eventually pushing their lead to double-digits early and holding it mostly throughout the third quarter. Davidson Day couldn’t find the same success early from the perimeter but still stayed within striking distance.
Carmel Christian never let up on their lead, really stepping up on both ends of the floor and eventually taking home the 53-38 victory to start the season.
Final: Carmel Christian 53 – Davidson Day 38
Top Scorers:
Carmel Christian:
Justin Taylor 19 points
Ben Burnham 16 points
Cade Tyson 8 points
Davidson Day:
Blane St. Clair 20 points
Donovan Atwell 8 points
Standouts:
2021 Ben Burnham (Carmel Christian): Burnham has just ridiculous bounce to his game. He showed that he can really dominate and make his mark on the glass, use his bounce and mobility to finish over defenders, and simply just make plays around the rim on both ends. It is so much fun to watch him operate and really impacts the game in so many ways.
2021 Blane St. Clair (Davidson Day): Clair was physically tough on both ends. He had a tough matchup at times but man, did he battle offensively, scoring strong around the rim and through contact, while also staying aggressive on the boards. Also knocked down his only three on the floor. Finished with a tough 20 points.
2022 Donovan Atwell (Davidson Day): Atwell is going to be a target for many teams with how he plays. Tremendous size and is already known for his ability to knock down shots from the perimeter, which he showcased early in this matchup. But he also works well off the dribble. It was a struggle though in the second half but started the game off strong.
2022 Justin Taylor (Carmel Christian): Taylor played really well throughout the game, controlling the pace, creating off the dribble, finding his teammates in open spots for good shots, and attacking when the opportunity was there to score. He played well as a floor general but was aggressive with his scoring ability.