Mishawaka Marian was strong for the first 12 minutes of the game, leading 30-26.  They weren't bullying Westfield, but they were getting offensive rebounds and contesting most of whatever Westfield put up.  They were aided by Braden Smith not connecting from behind the 3pt line in the first, but they were sound defensively.  

Westfield closed out the second quarter on a 10-0 run, taking a 36-30 lead to the locker room, and they really never looked back.  Marian was only able to score 9 points the from that point on.

  • Despite having snatched momentum and the lead, the game really took off for Westfield when Smith was placed in the middle of Marian's 1-3-1.  Smartly through core of their defense, often making his way to the top of key, Smith was able to play make from middle. 
    • Once Marian switched to man, Smith was able to really shine, attacking the baseline from the wing and the nail hole from the slots.  Smith moved the defense with his eyes and created a lot of easy baskets.
  • Alex Romack was really effective in the paint.  He's a good ball screen partner with Smith, and he's succeeding as a roll man.  He was more impactful on the defensive glass than the offensive glass this game.  
  • Cam Haffner was play making for others this game, vs. being just a shooter or even just someone looking to score -- something he's good at.  What this gives Westfield is another level of shot creation, especially for Romack and their other forward types.  It also gives Smith some room to find clean catches.
    • Trey Buchanan, sophomore guard, was also penetrating well and ran things well when Smith was on the bench in foul trouble.
  • Richard Brooks' shot truly progressed.  It's more fluid than in the past, and he has a quick release.  This goes well with his ability to penetrate and punish defenders in the paint.  Brooks continues to be one of the more under recruited players in the 2022 class.
  • Coming into this game, Kaleo Kakalia was shooting 37% from the 3pt line.  He struggled from there today, but him getting that shot is part of what they do.  It shows a progression in his game. 
    • The flip side of that was Kakalia wasn't in the paint as much, missing opportunities for offensive rebounds, a strong suit of his given his size and spring. Dareon Thornton and he are both 2+ offensive rebounds per game.
  • Watching much of the game through a camera lens sometimes can obscure evaluations, but Deaglan Sullivan wasn't as aggressive as I've seen him in the past.  Westfield definitely paid a lot of attention to him, and anytime he put the ball on the floor, there was a second defender heading him off.  

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