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Shelby 53, Marion Harding 43 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Jake Spegal, 12/20/19, 12:15AM EST

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Big second half rally keeps Shelby perfect as they take down Marion Harding in MOAC play

MARION, Ohio -- Despite falling behind early and trailing by as much as 11 points, Shelby (5-0) used a big second half surge to power past Marion Harding (2-2) on Thursday and remain atop of the MOAC, taking down the Presidents 53-43.

While Shelby came out getting to the rim for some tough finishes early on, Marion Harding answered every blow as a tough left-handed finish from senior wing Mitch Myers gave them a 13-11 lead with 2:06 left in the first quarter.

Ending the frame on a 10-0 run capped off by a deep two at the buzzer from junior Ayden Rich, Marion Harding headed into the second with an abundance of confidence as they led the undefeated Whippets 21-11 after eight minutes of action. 

With both teams struggling to find offense in the second, we saw the game slow down quite a bit. After Shelby went on a quick 7-2 spurt to begin the quarter, Marion Harding answered with four points of their own to end the half, helping them regain control of the momentum and take a 27-18 lead into the locker room.

Shelby senior guard Jonny Devito picked up his third foul midway through the second and was forced to sit out the remainder of the quarter along with the entire third. He was their best player in the first half tonight and while they struggled without him on the floor in the second quarter, the third did not spell the same troubles for the Whippets.

Exploding onto a 13-3 run, Shelby took control of the game. Several plays after junior wing Cody Lantz hit a three to trim the deficit to just 27-23, junior Grant Hiatt made a play that shifted the entire momentum of the game.

While a Marion Harding player was lazily going after an inbounds pass, Hiatt came from behind and swiped it away, then completing the play with a tough finish on the break to give the Whippets a 31-30 lead with 2:10 to go in the third.

After the two squads traded baskets for the rest of the quarter, Shelby headed into the fourth leading 35-34. 

Following four quick points from the Whippets to begin the fourth, Myers knocked down a big three for Marion Harding to cut the deficit back down to two, trailing 39-37 with 5:06 to play.

Unfortunately for the Presidents, that was as close as they could get for the rest of the night.

Following a three from Grant Gossom, Hiatt came up with another huge play, finishing a tough and-one to push the Shelby lead to 47-39 with 2:30 to go.

Taking advantage of their opportunities at the line and not turning it over late, the Whippets went on cruise control in the final 90 seconds of this win.

They were led by Pugh with 14 points, while Hiatt contributed 12, Devito scored nine and Lantz pitched in with seven of his own.

They move to 5-0 after the win and will host Galion at home on Saturday.

For Marion Harding, Thompson-Reece led the way with 10 points as their only player in double figures. ​​​​​​​Caden Morris also scored nine, while Myers scored eight and two players contributed six a piece.

They move to 2-2 after the loss and will travel to Big Walnut on Saturday to take on the Eagles in an intriguing non-conference matchup.


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TJ Pugh (6'5 WF / Shelby / 2021): While Pugh only made two field goals and didn't have his best showing scoring the ball tonight, we were satisfied with how he affected the game in other ways. The junior never got frustrated throughout the contest, showing good leadership and maturity by keeping the same mindset all night despite not having the success he's used to having. Offensively, the 6-foot-5 wing had a tough finish inside and knocked down a mid-range off the dribble. He scored 10 of his 14 points at the free throw line, converting on a lot of his attempts as he showed a knack for drawing contact in the face of multiple defenders after attacking off the bounce. With good length, strength and size to go along with a solid handle, the junior can bully around smaller wings in order to get to the rim when he wants to. He also played the passing lanes for a few steals tonight, cleaned up the glass and blocked a couple of shots on the defensive end. Pugh has good instincts on the defensive end despite not being the quickest, can defend 2-5 in the MOAC and uses his length and athleticism to alter opponent shots in the lane. The junior wing is a name to keep an eye on this season all the way up north in Shelby as he has been putting up some dominant numbers in helping lead his team to a 5-0 start. 

Jonny Devito (6'0 PG / Shelby / 2020): Keeping Shelby in the game throughout the first quarter, Devito put together a really nice two-way showing before being plagued with foul trouble and having to sit out the final four minutes of the second quarter along with the entirety of the third. We like the feel and handle of the 6-foot guard as he can get to the rim off the dribble and knows when to kick it out in order to find open teammates. He came up with two really tough finishes through contact in the first quarter, showing off good touch near the rim and body control while being draped by the Marion Harding defense. He also came up with a big and-one going to coast-coast after grabbing a steal in the passing lanes. Devito brings value on the defensive end as well as he's a reliable perimeter defender thanks to his above average lateral quickness. He poked the ball away from opposing ball handlers on multiple occasions as he showed that he's not afraid to apply ball pressure and defend 94 feet. He also played the passing lanes for a steal, consistently made the right rotations and even took two charges in the first half. While we would've liked to see him in action a little more but could not because of his foul troubles, we were pleased with the senior in our first viewing of him and think he could be a good look for small school programs in need of a gritty guard who brings energy, playmaking ability and passion on both ends of the floor.

Tobias Thompson-Reece (6'0 G / Marion Harding / 2020): Leading Marion Harding with 10 points tonight, Thompson-Reece scored in multiple ways on the offensive end and did a good job of pushing the tempo of the contest throughout. He had a few nice takes for some tough finishes, hit a mid-range off the bounce and knocked down a spot up three off the catch. The senior has a good handle and is the best offensive creator for Marion Harding as knows how to get to the basket and initiate contact. He made a couple of good drive-and-kick reads, got after it on the glass on both ends with his athleticism and came up with a steal in help side defense along with a block on that end of the floor. We expect him to enjoy a solid senior season as Marion Harding will rely on him to get things done off the dribble on a nightly basis.

Grant Hiatt (5'8 G / Shelby / 2021): Giving Shelby a much-needed momentum boost with his play in the second half, we liked the way that Hiatt took over the reigns as a ball handler for the Whippets in the absence of Devito and made plays off the dribble. He came up with a few nice takes for solid finishes, finished a tough and-one through traffic and hit a spot up three. The senior is a good decision maker as he knows when to give it up and when he has enough space to get his own shot off. We also like what he brings to Shelby on the defensive end of the floor as his biggest play of the day came on that end when he took advantage of a lazy Marion Harding ball handler and came up with a big steal leading to a bucket that put them ahead for good. We love players like Hiatt as he knows his role, does his job and always seems to make a positive impact when he's on the floor.

DeMarco Brown (6'1 WG / Marion Harding / 2020): Though he didn't tally a single point in the scoring column on Thursday night, Brown was the best defender on the floor throughout the entirety of the contest. He played some great perimeter defense on TJ Pugh, moving his feet well and more impressively holding his ground when the junior attacked off the dribble as Pugh has a much stronger build than Brown. He grabbed a handful of steals in the passing lanes and while playing perimeter defense, blocked a few shots and got active on the glass on both ends of the floor. Brown is our favorite kind of player as he epitomizes the fact that you don't need to fill it up in the scoring column in order to make an impact on the game.

​​​​​​Caden Morris (6'2 WG / Marion Harding / 2020): Along with Thompson-Reece, Morris was the Presidents best bet to create points off the dribble on Thursday as he got to the rim a handful of times. The 6-foot-2 senior showed a formidable handle, the ability to finish with both hands and simply a knack for knowing how to attack off the bounce. He had a tough finish through contact after taking a steal the distance of the court for an and-one early in the first half. He also hit a three off of the catch and made some good reads off the bounce within the Presidents half court offense. If they can get Morris to be a consistent number two option than they will find themselves competing with just about anyone on their schedule as he has the ability to operate as both a primary creator and someone who can create offense while playing off the ball.

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