Cherokee - Alexander
Game Stories

No. 7 Cherokee dunks Alexander in season opener

No. 7 Cherokee 83, Alexander 47

Heading into the season with a Top 10 ranking to their name, No. 7 Cherokee will no longer be sneaking up on anybody. After finishing 23-5 with their first-ever region title, the Warriors entered 2020-21 with a target on their back and something to prove, especially after failing to advance past the first round of the state tournament. Cherokee’s season debut went without a hitch as the Warriors outscored Alexander 65-30 over the final three quarters to race away with a highlight filled 83-47 victory.

Up against an inexperienced Alexander team, it was a back and forth first quarter as both squads traded punches. Senior guard Bennett Ulm set the tempo early for Cherokee. The unsung hero shined with his energy and defensive presence on the perimeter. He scored five of his 11 points in the first quarter and picked up steals and deflections along the way, but Alexander was game early on.

Junior Zion Fruster scored four points in the quarter including a smooth finish in transition to cut the Cherokee lead to 12-11 with just a tick under 3 minutes remaining.

Alexander would go on a 6-0 run to go ahead 15-12 after a Tayshaun Bolton transition layup.

Instead of carrying momentum into the break however, Cherokee would answer and take an 18-17 lead into the second quarter on a late Tayden Owens layup.

Turnovers became an issue in the second quarter and for the rest of the game for the visiting Cougars. Cherokee got out in transition and were energized by Richmond Hill transfer Ethan Pickett and Xavier-signee Elijah Tucker. Pickett finished with 15 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals, relentlessly attacking the basket and finishing with thunder and finesse on the break.

Tucker, who started out slow with his outside shot, started to get more comfortable as he got closer and closer to the basket. The future Musketeer helped spark a 13-3 run that pushed Cherokee ahead for good, taking a 29-20 lead on a tip-in that showcased Tucker’s freakish length and athleticism.

Tucker scored 10 of his game-high 21 points in the stanza and finished with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals on the night.

At the half, Cherokee held a 44-33 lead with Alexander barely hanging on receiving solid first halves from Sean Ivory and Jah’Kim Payne, who both scored all 7 of their points in the first 16 minutes before going scoreless the rest of the way. The screeching halt of the offense led to a 24-6 third quarter in favor of the Warriors, a run that ballooned the Cherokee lead to 68-39 after three.

Tucker continued to be effective inside with his activity, while Cherokee’s 2-2-1 press led to multiple steals and a pair of Ulm layups to pushed the lead to 20.

Taihland Owens helped salt the game away in the fourth quarter with seven of his 14 points.

Top Performers

Cherokee
Elijah Tucker – 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Ethan Pickett – 15 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Taihland Owens – 14 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 3 steals
Bennett Ulm – 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Tayden Owens – 8 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal

Alexander
Sean Ivory – 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist
Tayshaun Bolton – 7 points, 1 assist, 3 steals
Zion Fruster – 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Jah’Kim Payne – 7 points, 1 steal

 

My Take

What a difference a year makes. In what was a historic season for the program last year, winning their first region title under Coach Roger Kvam, the feel surrounding the Cherokee Warriors is different. It’s not just the feeling of a really good team, but it’s one of a group that could seriously make some noise come February and March. The biggest difference in those eight months since their last game? The guard play. A season ago, Cherokee’s guards just didn’t have enough umph in them alongside Taihland Owens. But now, with the addition of Ethan Pickett and the vast improvement of Tayden Owens, the backcourt is more than dangerous with three options that can put the ball in the basket. Pickett had some jaw dropping plays throughout the game. He is an elite athlete that can lock up defensively and is both graceful and powerful in transition. His strength and bounce can match the best of the best in Georgia. He didn’t do a ton of scoring from the perimeter and got the bulk of his points slicing his way to the basket. Tayden, younger brother of Taihland, gives Coach Kvam a trustworthy ballhandler that can do more than just swing the ball around on offense. As I saw all offseason with the Atlanta All-Stars, Owens has the same knack for scoring that Taihland does. He drilled two threes today and provided some pesky effort on defense. Tallying 6 assists to start the year is pretty impressive for a sophomore. Speaking of defense, Bennett Ulm is the unsung hero of the group. I will say it right now, when he is able to produce on offense, he makes Cherokee so much better but with that being said, his defense is hands down his best skill. Ulm is so active and so long on the perimeter. He earns countless deflections, poke aways and even blocks. At 6-foot-4, he can guard 1 through 3 and is an ace in the back pocket of Coach Kvam if he needs to save Taihland Owens or any other guard on defense and give them a breather. And how about the fact that Owens can now take breathers on offense instead of defense this season? No longer does Owens have to carry the tremendous burden of being Cherokee’s only outside scorer. As prolific of a scorer he’s been over his career, I wouldn’t be surprised to see his point production decrease from last year’s 19.1 average. Not because he is declining but because he has so much more help around him in Pickett who can slash to the basket, Tayden who can space the floor and facilitate and even DJ Potts-Heard who can come off the bench and light it up from deep. Though his stats didn’t jump off the page tonight with 14 points, they didn’t need to and what was most important was Owens’ 4 assists. He didn’t take many bad isolation shots like he could in years past and just let the offense come to him when needed. Elijah Tucker settled for a few too many outside shots to start the game, but once he got inside the arc he became more effective, aggressive and productive. His mixture of length and athleticism will really cause problems for most teams. He’s still capable of stretching the floor from the five-spot, hitting two threes in the opener, but tonight I felt like his activity inside really sparked his game.

For Alexander, they are a somewhat young and inexperienced team, especially as far as roles go.  Though he only had 2 points, I thought 6-foot-4 sophomore Noah Melson showed a few flashes as a passer, picking up 4 assists. He did look young at times when facing the tenacious defense of Ethan Pickett, but the more reps he gets at the varsity level, the better he will become and I think it will be a quick process. Tayshaun Bolton provided some toughness and effort on both sides of the ball. For a player that burly, he’s nimble on his feet and can shift past defenders with euro steps. Zion Fruster showed some upside as a long guard with a smooth touch around the hoop. Sean Ivory chipped in 7 points and had 4 rebounds. The 6-foot-7 junior forward got good burn battling Elijah Tucker inside. He couldn’t match Tucker’s leaping ability but he did have a few tough buckets up close and hit a mid-range jumper. 6-foot-5 junior Jah’Kim Payne will help a lot this season. The lefty is a combo-forward that can attack both inside and out. For a team in search of its identity as an offense, Payne could emerge as a consistent scorer.