Balanced attack from Oak Park too much for a solid Troy Athens

In what was supposed to be the biggest game of the day, Oak Park came into Troy Athens and took care of business surprisingly easy. The Knights came into this game with a 9-2 record, while Athens had an 11-2 record.

Oak Park this season has been led by 2020 6'5 forward Maliq Carr, 2018 6'2 guard Lamont Mason, and 2018 6'3 guard Isaiah Hollis-Moten. Athens has been led by 2018 guard duo Jacob Brantley and Taylor Mccaskill.

The first quarter was fairly dull, and both teams struggled to take care of the ball and make shots. Athens held a narrow 12-10 lead after one.

The second quarter was when Oak Park began to turn it on. They held Athens to just 7 points for the quarter and went into the break with a 29-19 lead. Jeremiah Pettiway and Sanna Sisawo both had solid first halves while Jacob Brantley was Athens only major contributor.

Through the first 6 minutes of the 3rd, Athens was able to slowly chip away at Oak Park's lead, cutting it to single digits several times throughout the quarter. Oak Park held a 48-37 lead going into the 4th, but it felt as if momentum had began to shift back to Athens and a comeback was brewing.

That momentum was immediately crushed to start the 4th though, and within 2 minutes, Oak Park had the lead up to nearly 20 points. The Knights frequently managed to pass the ball through Troy Athens' traps and it led to plenty of transition baskets or open threes. In the end, Oak Park cruised to a 76-51 victory.

Oak Park had a balanced attack that was led by Jeremiah Pettiway, who posted a team high 20 points. Sanna Sisawo posted a stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Isaiah Hollis-Moten had 13 points and Maliq Carr had 11 points, 6 rebounds as well for the Knights. Jacob Brantley had a game high 28 points, and Taylor Mccaskill chipped in 15 points as well for Athens.

Below are some notes on each of the team's top players from this game:

Jeremiah Pettiway- 2018

Pettiway made a killing in transition and at the free throw line. He ran the lanes well and showed great concentration to frequently finish plays at the rim through contact. Pettiway also passed the ball through the Athens trap pretty well. I would like to see him give the ball up a little more in transition. He made the majority of his shots, but his team could have easily scored a few more buckets than they did in this game if he would have dropped a few more passes off to teammates running with him.

Sanna Sisawo- 2018

The 6'5 forward has good length and fluidity for his size and even has some perimeter skills that helped him in transition and making plays slashing to the hoop. He knocked down a pair of threes as well, showing he can easily stretch the floor and even play as a stretch 4 or a wing potentially.

Isaiah Hollis-Moten- 2018

Isaiah did his damage from deep in this one. He knocked down 3 treys and looked very comfortable shooting from the corners. He has a good looking shot with consistent mechanics and a nice release. Hollis-Moten also did a good job contributing in other areas, grabbing 4 rebounds, dishing 3 assists and snagging a pair of steals. Improving his handles will be the next step for Hollis-Moten, as an improvement in this area could make him a very solid small college prospect.

Maliq Carr- 2020

Plus athlete who had 3 or 4 dunks. Really good outlet passer who is also an effective grab and go player. D1 prospect in hoops and football.

Jacob Brantley- 2018

Big, strong guard who is best going downhill. Finished well through contact and adjusting his shot mid air. Score first guard rather than a playmaker. Solid shooter as well. Needs to continue developing shot because it will be harder to be a consistent slasher at the next level.

Taylor Mccaskill- 2018

Smooth player with a high IQ. Finished well at the rim. Solid touch on his shot. Needs to work on creating space in iso situations to get his own shot. Could look to be a little more aggressive looking for shots offensively. Real solid small college prospect.

Below are some highlights from the game: