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Northridge 50, Newark Catholic 44 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Andy Hoben, 12/12/18, 11:30PM EST

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Northridge fought its way back to win an LCL game on the road at Newark Catholic

NEWARK, Ohio -- In what was, for most of the game, a two-man show for both Northridge and Newark Catholic, it was the timely plays by some of the more unsung players on each squad that kept the game interesting into the final minute of play. Northridge had the upper hand late, coming back from an early deficit to hold on for a 50-44 win on the road.

Northridge senior wing Jackson Wilson pushed the Vikings out in front early, scoring eight quick points, including two threes, but the Green Wave of Newark Catholic rode a tide of phenomenal three-point shooting by junior Connor Roesink and his four made triples to a 21-16 lead at the end of the first. 

Both teams’ interior stars also did work during the first half, with junior Zion Carpenter pouring in 10 first-half points with an array of post moves and face-up jumpers, and with 6-foot-6 senior Heath Jeffries pounding his way to nine points for the Green Wave. 

However, the offensive action came to a grinding halt in the second quarter, as both defenses clamped down on the other team’s leading players, resulting in a tight 25-24 Newark Catholic lead going into the half. 

While the first half was characterized by familiarity, with only TWO of both teams combined 49 points coming from anyone not named Carpenter, Wilson, Roesink, or Jeffries, the second half was anything but what was seen in the first. 

The second half started to a similar tune for Newark Catholic, with a made Roesink three; from there on out it was marked by loss, starting with the senior Jeffries going down with a lower leg injury mid-way through the third. Without their key player, Newark Catholic had to piece together lineups of reserve players to fend off a Northridge run, one that came at the end of the third and pushed the Vikings ahead 36-31, with senior guards Kody Everts and Trevor Kitchen, both scoreless in the first half, pitching in five points each. 

From then on, it was a dog-fight. Carpenter started the fourth quarter off with a pair of turn-around hooks to push the Northridge score to 44 and his personal total to 16, but contributions of buckets by senior Granger Evans and two bench players, senior forward Will Suttle and sophomore wing Bryson Bell, brought some momentum to the Green Wave’s cause and kept it a three point game for much of the fourth. 

With the score at set at 48-44 for multiple late fourth quarter minutes, Evans finally broke the ice with a three to bring it within one; however, a quick response by Everts with a three of his own pushed the lead back out to four with just over a minute left, and from then on it was Northridge’s game. While Newark Catholic tried to keep it interesting with two taken charges in the final minute, the extra possessions amounted to only missed threes. 

In desperation, Newark Catholic attempted to try their hand at the foul-game in the last 30 seconds, but with only three team fouls, it was no use, as a Carter Comisford backdoor cut off a hard-denied inbounds pass with 20 seconds left pushed the Vikings up six. This is all it would take, as Northridge hung on to win 50-44. Carpenter and Wilson had similar stat lines, going 16 points and seven rebounds and 15 points and seven rebounds, respectively, while the senior Everts filled up the stat sheet with eight points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal. 

Newark Catholic was led by Roesink, who ended up with 17 points and five five made threes, and Jeffries, who in two-and-a-half quarters of play nearly put up a double-double with 11 and seven rebounds.

This is Northridge’s first LCL win of the season, a big one at that with it being on the road, and their record now stands at 2-3. Newark Catholic falls to 1-2 on the season following the loss. 


Jackson Wilson (6’1 WF / Northridge / 2019): Wilson is by far the most experienced player on this Northridge roster, and it showed on Wednesday. Scoring eight of his teams first 12, including two triples, set the tone for his Vikings squad in a road environment, and though they lost footing at times, it was under the direction of Wilson that they were led back on track. Wilson uses his lanky frame at the wing spot to get his jumper off over pretty much anyone that attempts to defend it, and is also a high-energy guy off the ball that will use his athleticism to sky for contested offensive rebounds. A big-time college baseball prospect, look for Wilson to lead this Vikings team throughout the year and mix it up with the usual leaders of the LCL-Buckeye division. 

Heath Jeffries (6’6 WF / Newark Catholic / 2019): The loss of Jeffries for the stretch run of the game was incredibly apparent in watching this Green Wave squad try to make up for all that the senior does for the team. Essentially the only inside presence on the roster, Jeffries is a long, agile post prospect that uses his body well to battle for positioning and make contested inside shots. While he is usually able to rise above his defenders due to his sheer size in most games, especially in the LCL, Jeffries offensive game is not one-dimensional, as he is able to stretch his shot out past the three-point arc, even knocking down a three in this game. Jeffries is also an active rebounder and cleaned up the offensive glass for put-backs as well as hounding the defensive boards while he was on the court. While Jeffries injury is a huge one for the Green Wave to deal with, hopefully just in the short term, and the productive game he showed on Wednesday in two and a half quarters was enough to flash this senior post’s potential in a big way. 

Zion Carpenter (6’4 C / Northridge / 2020): Carpenter is an intriguing post prospect due to his development of a nice back to the basket and face-up game that he used at pretty much any time he wanted to against Newark Catholic. While Carpenter is an athletic kid, he does not overly rely on his jumping ability and speed to effectively beat defenders. He is able to use his leverage from multiple spots, whether it be from the low block or from the elbow, to either attack and put up a soft hook or hit a face-up jumper. Carpenter was also extremely active on the glass, and can dominate the paint on both ends if his opponent lets him. Look for Carpenter to build on his already strong junior season and continue to develop his post game. 

Connor Roesink (5’10 G / Newark Catholic / 2020): Roesink was the spark that kept the Green Wave in the game, and it was due to his deadly three-point shooting. Roesink can and will pull up from anywhere he can get his shot off, and while he is undersized, he uses his filled-out frame to gain positioning and drive and dish to get his other teammates involved. Roesink is a sharp-shooter that can knock down strings of shots in a row and drastically change games, and he will look to do more of it during the rest of the season as he did tonight with five threes. 

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