Background
I can't recall a time when a coach could play all eleven players on their bench without a noticeable difference on the court, but Knappa Loggers head coach Paul Isom has this luxury. Knappa entered last night's game riding a 7-game winning streak, averaging just over 60 points per game on offense, and giving up less than 40 points per game. Their opponents were the Falcons of Faith Bible who were 7-2 (their only losses were to the #7 and #8 3A teams). Faith Bible has proven to have a high-flying offense which averaged 68.8 points per game (including a 94 point game) along with an effective defense that allowed 41.8 points per game. On paper, this looked to be an even match.
Summary
Despite the even look on paper, the game was far from close. From the opening tip, Knappa took control of the game. Between great ball movement, selfless play, and stifling defense, Knappa jumped out to an 18-9 lead after the first quarter. The 1-3-1 trapping press and the 3-2 zone defense did not allow Faith Bible to ever get comfortable. Almost every shot was contested and rushed as the Falcons tried to avoid the constant pressure of the Loggers. The Falcons also had no answer for 6'9" senior Logan Morrill who put on a 20-point show or senior guard Shane McMahan who put in 18 and created numerous opportunities for his teammates. The second quarter was even less of a contest. The Loggers put in 25 more points and held the Falcons to just 7. The closing seconds of the half was a brief summary of the game as a whole: Faith Bible had a 1 and 1 free throw opportunity with under 4 seconds left. After missing the first shot, McMahan secured the rebound for Knappa, dribbled to half court, and sunk a 44-foot shot as time expired. At half, the score was 43-16 Knappa. The Loggers went deep into their bench, playing all 11 players by the end of the 3rd quarter, but the depth of their team meant that the Falcons were still overwhelmed with defensive pressure and offense. The only spark of life came off the bench for the Falcons in the form of #24 Feleti Martinez-Afemui whose court vision and even-keeledness lead to the best scoring chances for the Falcons. A 21-point quarter stretched the lead to 64-24. There was no respite in the fourth quarter as the Loggers scored another 13 points and held the Falcons to just 5 points.
The final score was 77-29 Knappa. The Loggers extended their win streak to 8 games and improved to 8-1 on the year and 2-0 in league. Their one loss came to #3 ranked Western Christian on the first game of the year. The Falcons fells to 7-3 on the season and 1-1 in league play.
Takeaways
Faith Bible is still a contender for a playoff spot in the Northwest League. They still have the best offense in the league and their length will pose issues to other teams. As a team, there is room for improvement in poise and intensity, but they are a talented team that is a legitimate playoff contender. Faith Bible's next game is against Columbia Christian this Friday, January 7th.
Knappa is truly an elite team. Their defense is furious, they have length, they have speed, and they can get streaky on offense. They showed last night that when they play to their best there are few teams that can even play close to their level, much less to a higher one. Their depth is their biggest strength as they can afford to go 11-deep into their bench without significant drop-off in talent. This gives them longevity over the course of the season and gives the coaching staff options depending on their opponent. An issue that could haunt the Loggers is their tendency to go cold shooting, but if they continue to crash the offensive boards like they did against Faith Bible, then this issue can be mitigated. Knappa's next game is Thursday, January 6th, at home against Vernonia.
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