Tag: Jaylin Andrews

Game 10 of 37 – The Greyhounds edge The Mount 61-55

Game 10 of 37 – The Greyhounds edge The Mount 61-55

#gohounds #patriotmbb #MoveMountains #NECMBB

I missed the first six or so minutes of this game. Loyola isn’t the easiest place to get to, especially at one on a Saturday. And I have three kids under seven, so thats my excuse.

The game was very close throughout. Loyola seemed to have the lead most of the second half, before finally getting some distance in the last minute. Cam Spencer and Jaylin Andrews were basically all of the offense for Loyola. They combined for 45 of the 61 points. Spencer was constantly rubbing off the shoulders of his screeners, as he would catch a pass and curl into the lane for a mid range jumper. He isn’t the best athlete or quickest, but he understands angles and how to use his body to create space. Spencer had 26 points, four rebounds, two steals and was 12-12 from the foul line.

Spencer at the foul line

Andrews, a 6’4 186 combo guard, is utilized much like Spencer is by Coach Tavaras Hardy. By the way I love Hardy’s energy. He’s not afraid to let the refs hear him talk and he is very proactive in getting the student section involved. Back to Andrews now… Andrews was very effective getting in the lane. He has the handle and slithery like ability to get by his defender and finish at the rim. He’s a below the rim finisher, but who cares if you constantly get there like he did. Andrews was also very comfortable coming off screens or taking mid range pull ups. His three point shot is still inconsistent, as he went 0-5. He finished with 19 points.

Andrews with a hesitation dribble off of a screen

For The Mount they were a little more balanced. They just struggled to slow down Spencer and Andrews. The Mount had a huge advantage with size and athleticism. They just struggled to get there big guys involved and get them to finish in the paint. While I was most interested in their trio of senior big men… Nana Opoku, Mezie Offurum and Malik Jefferson, the two players that kept The Mount close with three point shooting was Deandre Thomas and Jalen Benjamin. Thomas was very solid shooting the ball. He went 5-9 overall, including 4-7 from three. He scored a team high 14 points, had four rebounds and two assists. Its a shame he was in foul trouble.

Benjamin was the steady point guard much needed for his squad. If they didn’t have him in they really struggled to get much going. He showed poise and an ability to set the offense. Benjamin had eleven points, three rebounds, two assists and two made three’s.

The trio of bigs struggled to finish. The advantage was there, but they just didn’t make shots. And surprise…. You have to make shots to win a game. I really like how they compliment each other on the court though. I will definitely keep following their progress as a team.

Up next for me is Towson @ Coppin State

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 14 & 15 – Saturday Doubleheader

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 14 & 15 – Saturday Doubleheader

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 14 & 15

Saturday Doubleheader

 

March 2 – Game 1 – New Hampshire vs UMBC

IMG_3388 

So, I was fortunate enough to get to sleep in before my big day of basketball. I slept until 10:30 or so. Now granted this was after I had already been woken up by my kids countless times, but the wife got up with them this time! My morning was pretty basic. I had some coffee, cinnamon toast crunch and a shower before I left for UMBC around 12:30. Tip-off was at 1 p.m. I arrived literally during player introductions. I am getting pretty good at timing things. Or so I think. See what happens later…..

IMG_3390

This game was the last placed team in the America East, which is New Hampshire; against UMBC, who is battling for third place. UMBC was struggling all game long. A couple of journalists that were sitting next to me were expecting a 15-0 patented UMBC run. Well, they sure took their time to do so. New Hampshire went scoreless for like eight minutes mid way into the second half, to about the two minute mark. UMBC was down by as much as 18 at one point. Brandon Horvath, a slender 6’10 200 forward, led the charge. Horvath 13 points and made nine free throws to close the gap. The game was capped off by Jose Placer. Placer hit a game winning three with just 2.4 seconds left. Before that UMBC was 2-19 from three. During this span UMBC pressured New Hampshire and they had no answer. They turned the ball over 20 times and struggled to get into their offense. New Hampshire is a young squad and it showed. Leading the way for them was point guard Marque Maultsby. Maultsby had 15 points, four steals and four turnovers. Senior guard Jordan Reed had 10 points, five rebounds and three turnovers.

 

UMBC escaped in this one. They have been battling injuries all year, but the consistent senior Joe Sherburne was once again the main constant. Sherburne finished with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists.

 

After the game, I left as soon as I could. Of course it was raining. I believe it has during every trip to UMBC this year. I rushed home so I could eat some of the wife’s loaded bake potato soup. I had to pick up some sourdough bread on the way home. I stopped by Panera Bread and they were fresh out, so I went to Food Lion, which is closer to where I live. Objective complete. I got home and watched some of the UCF vs Houston game I had recorded. Then I ate some soup while watching some Kid’s Baking Championship with the family. I watched more of the UCF vs Houston game, then departed around 6:15 for the nightcap at Loyola MD.

 

 

Game 2 – Lehigh vs Loyola MD

IMG_3392

So, I thought I would have plenty of time to get to this game. Remember earlier in the day I was thinking man I’m good at this timing thing…… Wrong. Loyola is located in the middle of Baltimore city. There is no easy way of getting there. Waze, my gps friend, took me right through the middle of downtown. I was supposed to arrive at 6:57 for the 7 p.m. tip. Well, I did arrive around that time. I had to park, then go to will call to pick up my credential. Needless to say, I walked in 25 seconds after the tip off. Objective not complete.

 

Lehigh came into the game looking to end the season tied at the top of the Patriot League standings. Loyola was trying to finish top eight. Well, Loyola played extremely well on senior night. They controlled the game from the start and won by a final of 92-73.

 

Lehigh was led by their normal trio of guards. The two seniors, Kyle Leufroy and Lance Tejada, combined for 30 points. Leufroy is a steady shooting guard that has the ability to play some point in small doses. He has a solid three-point jumper and is a good mid range shooter as well. Tejada likes to use his quickness to blow by defenders and cause chaos in the lane. He also has the ability to shoot from three. Junior point guard Jordan Cohen displayed his great vision all night. He is a knockdown shooter as well. Cohen finished with 16 points and four rebounds. Lehigh has a solid trio on the perimeter. They just lack overall size as a team. However, big man Nic Lynch did provide solid minutes in the paint. He had 13 points, twelve rebounds and three blocks.

 

For Loyola they also excel in guard play. Freshman Jaylin Andrews exploded for 21 points and hit five three-pointers. He will be a player to keep an eye on. He has good size and length at 6’4 for a shooting guard. Point guard Isaiah Hart delivered 18 points and seven assists. Hart cut his turnovers down this season and is going to be a factor for Loyola the next couple of years. The consistent Andrew Kostecka chipped in 19 points. Kostecka seems to shoot better with a hand in his face. Some guys are just like that. He is also a pest on defense. He uses his quickness and anticipation to disrupt passing lanes and ball handlers regularly.

 

Once the game was over I ran out a soon as possible. I went home and my kids were already put in bed. I got home around 9:45p.m. My kids keep waking up super early on the weekends, like 7 a.m. This is earlier than they wake up for school. Maybe we should let them stay up super late on the weekends…. Nah, sounds too risky. The rest of my night consisted of some IPA’s, leftover Chinese food, “Friends”, “This Is Us” t.v. show, finishing the UCF vs Houston game, watching some of the Saint Mary’s vs Gonzaga game and a little bit of the UFC fights. So, yeah I didn’t go to sleep until 2:30 a.m.!