Nimitz Protected the Den

Reviews with Rob | Spring vs Nimitz

Wednesday would see Ball So Hard at a 6A Region II District 14 matchup with huge playoff implications. Spring 12-10 (2-1) would take on Nimitz 13-10 (2-1). The action started with an uneven flow. Both teams were still in the locker room for the first 4-5 minutes of the game. After a couple of quick timeouts by both coaches, the players seemed to find their footing. ℅ 2025 G Darrell Payton was causing all kinds of havoc for the Lions. He was electric getting to his left hand and finishing over bigger defenders, as he only stands 5’8”. He would finish the first half with 10 points and make a huge impression on me to see him more in the future. Unsigned senior G Eric Woods would be seeking his 1000th point in this game. He must have wanted to get it out of the way early because he was as aggressive offensively as I’ve seen him all year. He scored on multiple defenders and was also perfect from the free-throw line. Woods would finish the half with 16 points and look like the best player on the court…hands down. Nimitz would hold a slight advantage going into the half with a 30-23 lead.

Coming out of the break, Nimitz must have had their gear in cruise control because they looked like a different team. They weren’t as aggressive as they needed to be and Spring took full advantage. With most of their starters sitting on the bench, the Lions clawed their way back into this rough-and-tumble affair. ℅ 2025 G Tramaine Jackson and ℅ 2025 P Elijah Pittman were two of the main reasons why. Jackson, with his timely putback layups and perimeter defense, and Pittman, with his activity and aggressiveness on the offensive and defensive boards. After coming all the way back, the game would be decided in the last five minutes of the 4th quarter. Two unsung heroes would lead the way to victory for Nimitz, ℅ 2025 G Jaden Bergeron and ℅ 2026 P Malachi Augustus. Bergeron would get a couple of huge deflections and a big-time three in the corner. Malachi would get two huge offensive rebounds and putbacks that would seal the game for the Cougars. They would escape with a 50-46 victory heading into the final stretch of the first half of district play.

Spring was led by: Darrell Payton with 17 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists; Elijah Pittman with 4 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks

Nimitz was led by: Eric Woods with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals; Jaden Bergeron with 8 points, 3 rebounds; Malachi Augustus with 6 points, 4 rebounds

Article Written by: Robert Carroll 

[Ball So Hard, Lead Scout]

January 11th, 2024