5 Takeaways From Fremont at Benson
The Benson Bunnies and Fremont Tigers met at Benson High School on Tuesday night for each team’s third contest of the season. Benson entered the game at 1-1 while Fremont was hoping to keep their winning streak alive and leave…
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Continue ReadingThe Benson Bunnies and Fremont Tigers met at Benson High School on Tuesday night for each team’s third contest of the season. Benson entered the game at 1-1 while Fremont was hoping to keep their winning streak alive and leave undefeated. The Tigers, lead by Taylor McCabe, got off to a hot start and went to the locker room at half with a demanding 46-18 lead. The Bunnies fought back in the third, but ultimately fell to Fremont, 76-37. Here are the takeaways from Tuesday night’s battle at Benson.
Taylor McCabe isn’t just the best player in the 2022 class
By the end of the season, the sophomore standout may establish herself as the best player in the state. On Tuesday, McCabe did everything for the tigers, recording 31 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals, and finishing 8/13 from the 3 point line. You cannot lose sight of McCabe for a second. She spots up ready to shoot and has a quick release on her jump shot. She moves the ball well, throws spot on passes with either hand, and pushes the ball and makes plays in transition. The impact that McCabe is making for her team and the stats that she is putting up are impressive.
Fremont can make a game ugly, quickly
The Tigers can get up and suffocate you with a full court press or fall back and trap at half court. Either way, they look to get easy transition opportunities by speeding their opponents up and forcing them to make mistakes. This team is also loaded with shooters, moves the ball quickly, and gets great looks. With tough defense and good shooting, Fremont put this game away in the second quarter with at 23-6 run that gave them a comfortable lead at the half.
McCabe isn’t the only talented sophomore on this team
Macy Bryant also had an impressive night, recording a near double-double with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Bryant makes good decisions and spends a lot of time at the high post where she gets open shots for teammates with inside-out passes. She also gets second chance opportunities by working hard on the offensive glass and tracking down long rebounds.
Another hardworking sophomore is Sarah Shepard. Shepard is a 5’10 forward that runs the floor well and can finish around the rim. Shepard is also playing an important role in their up-tempo defense, picking off passes and averaging 2.8 steals this season.
Benson has two underclassmen guards to be excited about
Nataya Lockett is an aggressive sophomore leading her team through five games with 13.2 points and 4 steals per game. Nataya is a lefty that pushes the tempo, attacks the rim, and gets good looks at the hoop. Right now Lockett is only converting at 32%, but she could see an increase in statistical production if she can start to finish some of her more makeable attempts and improve with her right hand.
Another hardworking guard on the Benson roster is the 5’9 junior, Kiera Estima. Estima is leading her team in rebounding to start the season while also averaging 12.8 points per game. Kiera is a strong finisher at the rim with her right hand and works hard on the defensive end; averaging 3 steals and 1 block per game.
Benson can compete when they play their best basketball
Benson did not have a good first half of basketball against the Fremont Tigers. They turned the ball over on offense and lost sight of shooters on defense. In the third quarter, it was a different story. Benson took much better care of the ball, locked in on defense, and forced turnovers that lead to transition buckets. While they could not fight back from the first half deficit, they did win the 3rd quarter 14-11.