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Detroit Pershing gets a big win over Henry Ford 50-44. Advance to PSL Semi finals
What might have been the least talked about game building up to the PSL Quarterfinals turned out to be one of the best games of the day.
Class C Detroit Pershing (6-9) took on Henry Ford (11-3) in the 3rd of 4 games in the PSL Quarterfinals.
Pershing has been considered one of the favorites in the PSL this season, but for the most part have largely underwhelmed. Despite that, they still boast a ton of top tier talent capable of winning against anyone. They are a senior dominant team led by D'Juan Seal, Charles Brown, Ron Hill, Jalyn Benning and Johnny Davis.
Henry Ford was expected to be one of the better teams in the PSL, but I don't think anyone expected them to be the team they have this season. Ford was the favorite coming into this game. They are led by a dynamic backcourt duo Anthony Roberts and Deontae Ulmer.
The game started out looking like it was going to be a blowout. Henry Ford controlled the entire quarter and led 15-6, thanks to Deontae Ulmer having a strong first quarter, burying 3 threes.
The second quarter was a bit more balanced and Pershing managed to cut the lead to 6 going into the break.Anthony Roberts had a solid 2nd quarter, ending the half with 12 points. Ulmer had 11 points at the break, all of which came in the first. For Pershing, Charles Brown helped keep Pershing afloat with 9 points.
Pershing continued to chip away at Henry Ford's lead, as they cut it to 33-30 going into the final quarter. Despite the low scoring game, the entertainment was certainly there and the crowd really picked it up going into the 4th.
These teams traded baskets for the first half of the 4th quarter, but a big putback dunk by Jalyn Benning that put them up 40-38 with just under 4 minutes left that helped Pershing take a lead they would never relinquish. Pershing would end up pulling out a 50-44 victory.
Charles Brown led the Doughboys with 17 points, 7 rebounds, Jalyn Benning had a double double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks, Ron Hill had 10 points and 5 assists, D'Juan Seal had 7 points, 9 rebounds and Johnny Davis had 6 points, 13 rebounds to lead the Doughboys.
Anthony Roberts scored a game high 20 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and had 3 blocks to lead the Trojans. Deontae Ulmer added 18 points as well.
Below are some notes on some of these players between both teams:
Brown is a highly under recruited 2018 recruit and hopefully this game will change things. He was effective at all three levels scoring, and got involved on the glass as well. He hit 2 threes, went 3-4 at the line and scored a handful of field goals in the paint. Brown has real good size for a wing, has a solid three point shot and is a good athlete capable of playing around the rim with ease. He also reportedly has a good GPA as well. JUCO programs should be all over him due to his lack of recruitment by 4 year schools.
Benning has been arguably the most consistent performer for the Doughboys all season long. He is a physical, big bodied and athletic forward who also has a good motor to back the physical tools. Benning tracked shots off the rim well on both ends, and helped Pershing win the interior battle against the Trojans. What will surprise many when watching Benning for the first time is his athleticism. His putback dunk over multiple people turned the momentum and lead into Pershing's favor, and they never let it go from there.
Anthony Roberts- 2018 (Bryant)
Roberts continued to show why he is one of the top scoring guards in the state against a tough Pershing squad. He just has a knack for putting the ball in the hoop from anywhere and virtually any way. Every basket he had was highly difficult and contested, and there are likely few players in the state who could have done what he did. At 6'3 and with a good frame, he has good size for a guard at the low major D1 level. What Roberts does need to work on is tightening his handles up a little more and also getting a little bit more explosive quickness. Every shot he made or took was difficult and although he is capable of making shots most others won't, if he got a little bit quicker many of those shots would have been much easier. Bryant's head coach actually just announced his retirement, so it will be interesting to see if Roberts will stick with his commitment to the program. If he does decommit, he will become one of the most sought after guards in the state for Low to mid major programs.
"Toodles" is one of the most athletic players in the state. Despite possesing that athleticism, he was totally contained by Henry Ford. He did manage to hit 2 threes, which is a good sign for him, but he also showed that he needs to improve his half court game. He managed to get to his spots a few times, but failed to finish. Despite the struggles on the offensive end, he still used his motor and toughness to grab 9 rebounds, showing he can still make a good contribution even without scoring. Toodles is being heavily pursued by top D2 programs, and that should continue to happen. Low Major D1s looking for an athletic wing closer to the spring should checkout Toodles as well.
The 6'2 sharpshooter continued to show why he is one of the top snipers in the state. He started the game out on fire, knocking down 3 threes and scoring 11 points in the first. Pershing did a much better job at containing him in the final three quarters, but his ability to really stretch the floor opened up lanes for Anthony Roberts to attack spaces in the defense. JUCOs and NAIAs looking for a pure shooter should be on Ulmer. He has good size and knows how to shoot effectively off of screens or off the catch.
Hill ran the Doughboys offense extremely well in this one. He rarely forced anything and did a real nice job of throwing passes through the Henry Ford defense. He posted a game high 5 assists. Whenever the Trojans tried to put pressure onto Hill, he used his explosive first step to get by essentially every Trojan defender. There are few, if any players in the state who are quicker with the ball than Hill.
Davis struggled mightily finishing around the rim in this game, but he dominated the glass and did a great job rim protecting for the Doughboys. Davis is strong and has a real nice frame that can still put on a few more good pounds of muscle. Offensively, he actually was pretty effective inside, he just struggled finishing. He did have a few nice baskets though. One in particular was a up and under that displayed excellent footwork and discipline. He had another one where he did a spin move drew a foul but failed to finish the and 1 opportunity. He could also afford to get a little bit quicker inside, but his footwork looked good.
Here is a video with highlights from the game: