Published 11:33 p.m. Nov 25, 2019
Springfield, Ill. -- The No. 8 Our Savior's Springfield Eagles took down Danville by a score of 122-60 led by preseason All-American Jace Easley and potential LSA Point Guard of the Year Conor McCaffrey.
In his first home game of the season, McCaffrey showed why he was the 3rd ranked player in the preason player poll, finishing the game with 36 points, 8 rebounds and 16 assists!!! Yes you read that right. This included 19 first half points on 5-6 shooting from beyond the arc. He got it started early, draining a corner three ot get the Eagles on the board.
Easley finished with a career high in scoring and is getting closer to setting the LSA-All Time Record for total points in a career, totaling 36 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
Danville was led by Blake Harris' 12 points and Damian Cleveland's 9 points and 4 rebounds. The Crusaders struggled offensively, shooting only 26.3% from the field.
The Eagles took a 58-19 lead into the locker room, backed by 11 made three-point shots on 17 attempts (64.7%) and complete domination on the glass, out-rebounding the Crusaders 35-8 in the first half.
The second half was more of the same, as the Eagles extended their lead thanks to another large run of 16-0. The Crusaders had their moments, including a 11-0 run with 4 forced turnovers halways through the third quarter, but the Eagles' offense was too much too handle down the stretch. Our Savior's scored 64 second half points on 64% shooting, while gathering 27 more rebounds.
THE NEWCOMERS
In addition to Lucas Schmitt being named the team's starting small forward over the fall, it was Jeremiah Perkins starting at center for the first time since January 2018 that shined brightly. Perkins added 10 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks for the Eagles as the man in the middle. Alongside Perkins was as mentioned Lucas Schmitt and Ty Seifert, the team's newbies, while now current 8th graders Noah Oldham, Tristyn Carlove and Ian Klockenga add to the depth. Presumed starting small forward, Logan Allen is still sidelined with a right ankle sprain.
Schmitt finished up the game 3-8 for 9 points and 3 boards.
Seifert, Klockenga, Oldham and Carlove combined for 15 off the bench for the Eagles.
BEYOND THE ARC AND CRASHING THE GLASS
The Eagles showcased their shooting ability as they set a program record with 13 made three-point field goals. McCaffrey finished with five, Easley with three, Schmitt with two, and Daniel First, Ty Seifert and Dawson Strauch each added one.
Our Savior's dominated the glass, outrebounding the Crusaders 62-18 including 20 offensive boards. McCaffrey and Easley led the charge with 8 rebounds a peice.
CONOR MCCAFFREY
McCaffrey contributed 36 points, 8 rebounds, 16 assists in 20 minutes. He was extremely efficient, shooting 13-17 from the field and 5-8 from beyond the arc.
Coach Phillip Heppe had this to say about McCaffrey's play. "He was the best playmaker in the state last season, but now he's becoming a scorer. He can get buckets in a variety of ways. Today it was easy because he ran the floor and took good shots. It won't always be that easy, but he has an ability to make hard shots. It was a tribute to all our guys, that unselfishness is what our program is about."
UP NEXT
The Eagles (5-0) take on Chicago Patrick tomorrow (November 26th) in their second game of the Thanksgiving multi-team event in Springfield. The game will tip-off at 11:00 AM.