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The Mountain Pointe boys basketball team made their much anticipated debut last night in a tri-scrimmage against Rancho Solano and Hamilton, and the Pride did not disappoint. They beat Rancho 24-21 in the first 2 quarters of the scrimmage. Then fell to Hamilton 27-26, for an overall score of 50-48. The biggest discussions among those watching the game was the defensive intensity by the Pride. That can be attributed to Coach Eason’s “55” full court press. “It’s a defense i’ve used for many years in New Jersey,” Eason explains. “You have to have the right mentality, because it’s very aggressive and requires a ton of running.” Athletes like Selah Thomas, Amarion Cash, Rashaan Toombs, and John Norsworthy bring the type of athleticism and speed needed. That was on display last night as the boys sped up both opponents, caused a bunch of turnovers, and forced a lot of quick shots; which resulted in scoring chances on the offensive end. When the press breaks down, having 6’9 shot blocking Jalen Graham and 6’8 charge taking Nate Ward provide rim protection is an added bonus. “55” will be a staple of Coach Eason’s teams, and it proved game ready last night, as it gave fits to both opponents.
While defense is great, you need to score to win, and the Pride did that as well. Price and Graham led the way with 9 points each, followed by Senior Ryan Pate with 8. Toombs and Freshman Noah Simmons added 6 points each. No player had huge numbers, but in this system, that’s normal. “Our motto is, the team is the star; so any player can be the leading scorer.” Eason added. “We don’t want to be stuck offensively because we only have 1 or 2 scorers. We try to play fast, find the open man, and score. It doesn’t matter who it is.” Despite the balance scoring, the Pride were very inconsistent. “We missed alot of open cutters and shots tonight.” Eason continued. “We can’t have the defense create scoring opportunities and then not take advantage of those chances. Moving forward we must do better at capitalizing on defensive stops and turnovers.”
Despite a few bugs in the system, the Pride looked good. There was a solid turnout to root on the team, and those who came left satisfied. Next week the season officially opens; and the Pride will be heading to Gilbert High School for the Welcome to the Jungle Thanksgiving tournament. Come out and support the boys.
