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Linden-McKinley 42, Bloom-Carroll 39 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Mark Francis, 01/20/22, 12:00AM EST

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Panthers lock down and knock off top ranked Bulldogs

CARROLL, Ohio -- The game lived up to the billing as two of the top three teams in Division II stepped on the court and produced a thriller. Unfortunately for Bloom Carroll (13-2), they came up on the wrong end of the movie as Linden-McKinley (11-4) handed the Bulldogs their second loss of the season. 

Per usual, a defensive stop and hustle play ended the game for the Panthers, as Jared Rose’s three missed, then the scramble for the ball came up Linden’s way and they walked out with a 42-39 victory. 

A game in which no quarter ended with any team up more than three points started with both teams trading baskets leading to a 4-4 tie early. The defense on both sides was sharp early leading to a transition layup for Bulldog senior scoring machine Evan Dozer, another loose ball layup then finishing a tough one that was contested at the rim. 

Linden-McKinley hit three three-pointers to Bloom Carroll’s one, including one from sophomore Philip Towns’ that gave the Panthers a 13-11 lead after the first quarter. 

After a clean first quarter that had no fouls, the first nine points in the second came off of and-ones’s with number 10 being scored via another free throw. 

As the quarter wore on, it was evident that Linden-McKinley senior LA Walker was making scoring difficult for Dozer. Both young men took the challenge of guarding each other, but it was clear that Walker did not focus on scoring in the first half even though he averages over 22 points per game. 

Bloom Carroll senior Jared Rose carried the Bulldog offense in the second frame, scoring five of his nine in the quarter before the half. Linden-McKinley senior Malakhi Armistead silenced a rocking student section when he drained an ice cold three-pointer to take a 23-22 lead going into the locker room. 

Things stayed tight after the half as it became crystal clear that neither team would run away and hide from the other. Walker continued to make things hard on Dozer which slowed down the entire Bulldog offense and despite Dozer’s seven point quarter, his teammates only mustered two that quarter. 

Walker finally scored the first two of his 11 total points in the third but it was Dozer’s three (the first time Walker couldn’t get around the screen) that gave Bloom Carroll their first quarter-ending lead at 31-30. 

An excellent coaching move ignited the Panthers in the fourth quarter with the decision to switch senior point guard LB Towns Jr. onto Evan Dozer. This paid off as Dozer did not hit a field goal in the fourth and LA Walker scored his remaining seven points at the same time. 

Both teams played hot potato with the lead to start the final frame with five lead changes until Dozer’s free throws tied the game at 37. Walker’s bucket and subsequent free throw put the Panther’s up by three until Rose nailed a shot to get back down by 1 with under 30 seconds left. 

Malakhi Amristead went to the free throw line for a clutch one-and-one and was cooler than a fall day, swishing them both and giving the Panthers the 42-39 lead that would hold up after a missed Rose triple and Linden-McKinley getting loose ball.

This game snaps Bloom Carroll’s six-game winning streak and marks the first time this season that the Bulldogs have been held under 50 points. Four seniors paced the Bulldogs in scoring, starting with Evan Dozer and his 20 points, followed by Jared Rose with nine, Da’Shan Clark scoring five, Beau Wisecarver adding three and sophomore Jackson Wyant pitching in a bucket. 

Linden-McKinley is now on a five-game win streak and have not only proven that they are the most outside team in the district, but that they can win in different ways. Senior point guard LB Towns Jr. scored 15 points to lead the Panthers to go along with a few steals and rebounds, senior LA Walker added 11 points and a big-time rebounding effort, senior Malakhi Armistead scored 10 and multiple steals while sophomore Philip Towns added six and numerous hustle plays and rebounds. 

Bloom Carroll takes the court again on Friday where they look to bounce back against their rival Liberty Union, who have won three straight games. Linden-McKinley takes on East Friday looking to continue rolling before a matchup against another Division II favorite and City League North rival Beechcroft.

LA Walker (6’5 F / Linden-McKinley / 2022): Coming into this game averaging over 22 points per game and going head-up with another scorer, Walker put that aside and showed that he could flat out lock up on defense. The senior made Evan Dozer work for everything he got, forcing him to catch the ball far away from the basket, making him overdribble and staying in front so that Dozer had to shoot over top of his length. The way he fought over screens was a thing of beauty, getting around the screener while not allowing the ball handler to turn the corner. Walker was locked in from the opening tip defensively, and then got going in the final frame on offense. In the fourth quarter, the senior showed why he is one of the toughest covers in the area by getting to the basket and finishing around the rim with his soft touch. His offense was secondary in this game though, as he showed every school that he is much more than a bucket.

LB Towns Jr. (5’10 PG / Linden-McKinley / 2022): The speedy point guard helped carry the scoring load in the first half, scoring 10 of his 15 in the first 16 minutes. Towns was patient on offense and got to the basket, where he is one of the best guard finishers in the City League, he hit soft shots off the glass in the lane and knocked in a three to show his range. In the fourth quarter, the guard took the challenge of guarding the Bulldogs leading scorer and terrorized him when he tried to dribble. The senior pressured the ball and did not allow a field goal to be scored on him in the final quarter. His bucket and free throw in the fourth put the Panthers up by two with 3:30 left. Towns is a flat winner with a desire to win that every small school should want in their backcourt.

Chris Towns (5’11 G / Linden-McKinley / 2023): One person who did not make the stat book but was one of the most impactful players on the court was this junior guard. The junior hit the glass and had over six rebounds to go along with at least three steals while continuously disrupting the offense of the Bulldogs. When the Panthers were up by one point, it was him who took a charge with around 4:15 left in a one-point game. While his effort may go unnoticed to many, this was the way to have your handprints on a basketball game without putting the ball in the hoop.

Evan Dozer (6’2 SG / Bloom Carroll / 2022): The only consistent outlet for offense from the Bulldogs, Dozer proved that he could fight through tough defense to still put up effective numbers. Dozer was able to finish through contact at the rim and showed his patience with the ball in his hands. The senior fought through physical play and was still able to get to his spots when he needed to. He scored easy baskets in transition and knocked down 7 of his 8 free throws, to keep his team alive. His 20 points led his team and while he scored as usual, he also pulled down around eight rebounds. Dozer is an interesting prospect that has a chance to contribute early at the next level.

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