Week two of the Summit Summer League took place on Wednesday night with three more games and and contests that even when they looked wrapped up, stayed unpredictable.
For those still learning about the Summit Summer League, each week the teams will change and players will play with different teammates under different coaches. The games are played in two 18-minute halves with a 24-shot clock and an Elam Ending to close the games out.
What is the Elam Ending? The clock in the second half is stopped at two minutes and seven points is calculated to the winning team’s score; that total becomes the target score that needs to be hit to achieve victory.
TEAM RAUCH 70, TEAM TRAYLOR 60
The opening game of week two got off to a fast start with Team Rauch’s Owen Prater (Rochester) taking the ball coast to coast and getting a corner pass off to Wyatt Weaver (Homestead) for a three, with Prater just narrowly avoiding a Jevon Lewis (Wayne) back tap in the process. Team Traylor answered back immediately with back-to-back threes from Lewis and Jackson McGee (Leo) and a bucket by week one’s leading scorer Michael Raudenbush (Homestead) to take an 8-5 lead.
McGee stayed the hot hand early, knocking down his third triple with 13:17 left in the first half to push Team Traylor’s lead to 16-12.
At the first substitution of the game, Gannon Smith (Mississinewa) used his strong head fake off an offensive rebound to score past two defenders and cut Team Traylor’s lead. The defense to offense work of Team Rauch continued when Ryker Quake (East Noble) scored an and one in transition and then the team proceeded to force a 24 second shot clock violation, something they did all night long.
The back and forth first half swung back in Traylor’s favor with 6:55 to play as Brady Lehman (Spire Academy) picked Jayson Hart’s pocket and got it ahead to McGee for the go ahead layup at 27-26. A minute later, Lewis picked up his first big basket for Team Traylor to go up 29-28 on a quick iso dribble midrange pull-up that hammered throw the bottom of the net. But the lead was still not to be for Traylor’s team as Team Rauch surged on a 10-0 run to take a 38-32 lead as Gannon Smith showed this court vision finding a back dooring Weaver near the three minute mark of the half. Team Rauch led 40-33 at the halftime break.
Weaver continued to show how much more comfortable he was in week two with one of the first big strikes of the second half, an awe engaging post spin move that gave Team Rauch a 44-38 lead. But as arguably the game of the night, this thing was never truly over. Team Traylor rallied back again on the hands of Lewis, but tied the game at 44 on a triple from freshman Lucas Lemmon (East Noble) before another high end find from Smith to Weaver pushed Team Rauch ahead for good at 47-44. Smith also was able to showcase the different levels he can score at as the Team Rauch lead was extended to 59-44 with 5:13 left as the Mississinewa senior hit a deep pull up jumper.
Back-to-back turnovers almost hurt Team Rauch late before the Elam Ending, but they were able to maintain the lead. A Lewis three cut the Team Traylor deficit to 59-53, but Rauch would lead 62-55 heading into the Elam Ending, in part to a critical Jackson Davis (Canterbury) basket.
A Weaver and-one and two buckets from Quake ended the game with Team Rauch winning 70-60.
OTH PLAYERS OF THE GAME: Gannon Smith (Team Rauch), Jevon Lewis (Team Traylor)
TEAM DURNELL 64, TEAM RAUCH 55
A defensive battle opened the game with the first basket not coming until the 16:11 mark on a Tucker Day (Canterbury) move to the basket that just embodied how to play like a true big man, using his body to just terrorize Jackson Davis. It was another minute before Team Rauch scored as Conner Slee (Fremont) worked his way through traffic for a crafty finish to tie the game at two. It remained that way for quite a while until Team Rauch forced yet another 24 second violation leading to an inbounds baseline basket from Owen Smith (Homestead).
At the 11:33 mark, Qualyn Clopton (Snider) ended Team Durnell’s drought with a triple, but Wyatt Weaver (Homestead) answered on the other end clearing a second defender and then going to work in a one on one situation. Yet, Team Durnell answered right back on a smooth finish at the rim from Kyle Hartsough (Lakeland), showing off a nice change of speed. With 9:47 left, Team Rauch’s defense forced their second 24 second violation of the game and fourth of the night but couldn’t take advantage as Hartsough scored another tough basket for Durnell to take a 9-8 lead.
The low scoring affair seemed gridlocked at 11 before Day backed down his defender with 6:50 to play in the first half two go up 13-11. Joey Taylor (Churubusco) brought back some of last weeks high level speed with 4:56 to go pulling down a defensive rebound taking off uncatchable down the court for a layup that put Team Durnell up 15-13. With 4:13 to play, Owen Smith hit a tough midrange shot off an inbounds with just 3.1 seconds left on the clock. Clopton and Ryker Quake (East Noble) exchanged late threes and at the half, Team Rauch led 26-20 after Slee scored the last 6 points for Team Rauch in the final 90 seconds of the half.
Preston McCann (Mississinewa) opened the second half with a baseline finish just 24 seconds into the half, upping the pace from the first half significantly. McCann then went to work again on the next trip for another basket to cut it to 28-24 before a tremendous Clopton euro pulled Team Durnell back in to tie the game. And then, with 15:08 to play, another Slee finish at the rim gave Team Durnell a 30-28 lead. Day came up big with 10:21 left, blocking Owen Smith and forcing a bad Team Rauch shot to try and beat the shot clock. That sequence lead to John Parent (Canterbury) scoring in transition to tie the game at 24 for Team Durnell. On the next Team Durnell possession, Day found a cutting Jake Coolman (Homestead) for the go ahead basket, 36-34.
Owen Smith showcased something he was doing well all night with a hesitation at the rim on his drive that led to a go ahead basket, 38-36, for Team Rauch with nine minutes to play. Parent went to work on the other end, scoring five straight to give Team Durnell a 41-38 lead and then a Taylor rebound and full court take pushed Team Durnell’s lead to 5. Team Durnell would lead by as many as seven before Zaine McMichael (Antwerp) broke the dead streak for Team Rauch, who trailed 48-43 with 6:10 to play.
Team Durnell hit a dagger with 3:43 to play on a Clopton three to go up double digits at 54-43, but Owen Smith answered back on the other end before Clopton just shot immediately back with another three and Team Durnell was up 57-46. Heading into the Elam Ending, Team Durnell led 57-48 setting 64 as the target score.
Team Durnell opened the scoring on a Clopton to Jackson Hauser (Blackhawk Christian) look for a basket, then a McCann steal that ultimately led to a basket for McCann on the other end. After a McCann bucket to draw them within one point of the target, Team Durnell closed a 64-55 win on a Jake Stoy (Prairie Heights) free throw.
OTH PLAYERS OF THE GAME: Tucker Day (Team Durnell), Owen Smith (Team Rauch)
TEAM DURNELL 72, TEAM TRAYLOR 63
Offensive rebounding was key for Team Durnell throughout the game as they battled, took a big lead and held onto it with multiple opportunities to score on many possessions. Team Durnell raced out to an 11–5 lead on the hands of Joey Taylor (Churubusco) and Qualyn Clopton (Snider), who were getting downhill at will. Even when Team Durnell wasn’t abele to convert early, Clopton and Ayden Moore (Leo) helped them stay in control with their offensive rebounding. A Kyle Hartsough (Lakeland) three with 14:02 to play in the first half gave Durnell a 16-7 advantage.
With 13:03 left in the first, John Parent (Canterbury) pulled off the move of the night with a tight spin at the rim for a bucket; Preston McCann (Mississinewa) then forced back to back turnovers and Team Durnell pushed their lead to 20-7 before Lucas Lemmon (East Noble) scored a three off a Jackson McGee (Leo) pass to end the drought for Team Traylor. Team Durnell continued to force turnovers leading to easy baskets on the other end, going up 12 on a Jake Stoy (Prairie Heights) basket and then, Tucker Day (Canterbury) blocked a three pointer for Team Durnell that ultimately led to a McCann basket with 9:52 left to make it 24-10 for Team Durnell.
After three minutes of scoreless work for both teams, Jevon Lewis (Wayne) put points on the board for Team Traylor but Clopton answered on the other end with an and one to push the lead to 27-12 with 5:34 to play in the half. Kobe Hudson (Northrop) started making things happen for Team Traylor with a tough basket and near rip that forced a jump ball with 4:13. With 2:19 to play in the half, Day powered through a collapsed defense of four guys to push Team Durnell’s lead back in the right direction, leading 29-16. McCann added a three with 1:18 left and then Day scored a layup off a lob from McCann to make it 34-16 in favor of Team Durnell, who then led 34-19 at the half.
Hartsough is the one that went to work early for Team Durnell in the second half with his quick trigger shot. Second chance opportunities thanks to Parent and Day were helpful and with 14:34 left, Hartsough buried a three against Lewis to push the lead to 42-23. That possession though certainly go Lewis pushing back as he added a three of his own on the next trip. Lewis just ran through the competition in the first five minutes of the second half before the subs were made, getting Team Traylor within 44-28 at that break. Moore hit a three with 12:52 left and Team Durnell extended their lead to 47-28; his Leo teammate McGee then pushed back with an and-one basket on the other end with 12:12 to play in the game.
The teams exchanged baskets for several minutes without anyone getting much momentum but that certainly worked out of the favor of Team Traylor as they tried to mount the comeback. With 9:21 to go, on an outlet form McGee to Lemmon for a basket cut it to 52-38 and then Team Traylor forced a turnover on the next possession. Team Traylor continued to try and mount a comeback as Michael Raudenbush (Homestead) began to assert himself and with 6:33 to go, a Lewis layup cut it to nine at 54-45. With 4:50 to go, a Lewis and-one cut it all the way down to 54-50 but Team Durnell got out in transition quick for a Taylor bucket.
With 3:26 to play, a Parent three broke the Team Durnell ice after Lewis had scored 10 straight points on his own for Team Traylor, almost toying with the defense as he took over. With the Elam Ending target score set at 71 points, Team Durnell led 64-57 as Taylor drained a three right as the clock stopped for the Elam Ending to take place. Jake Coolman (Homestead) opened the Elam Ending scoring for Team Durnell before Makhi Davis (Northrop) shot back on the other end, both teams finding success with tough baskets down low. Durnell closed out the 72-63 win on a Day put back tip.
OTH PLAYERS OF THE GAME: Kyle Hartsough (Team Durnell), Jevon Lewis (Team Traylor)
Overall, the games this week stayed pretty competitive. Even in the third game when the score got lopsided, Team Traylor did an excellent job of clawing back. With all of the scores being 10 or nine point differentials, there is just a constant of one or two possessions really being the difference in each game.
The teams will get shook up again for next Wednesday, August 23’s week three of competition. Games will again tip off at 6:30 p.m.
Do yourself a favor, get out and watch these guys get up and down the court. It really has been fun the first two weeks to watch some high level basketball and guys play against and with new faces for them. And, it is also kind of fun to watch teammates or former teammates match up against each other too.
We will call it another successful week for the Summit Summer League, check back next Tuesday for a preview of week three action and what to look forward to as we’ve reached the halfway point of this league.
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