I took in the highly anticipated matchup of DME Academy and West Oaks Academy last night and it did not disappoint. In a game of runs, it was DME Academy that walked away with a 82-76 win. Here are my three main take aways from the game.

An Italian, a Russian, and a Serbian.....

Reading that headline, you may be wondering what that has to do with high school basketball. In this case, it has everything to do with it. The European trio of Milan Skoric, Victor Panov, and Niccolo Moretti were fantastic. The trio combined for 57 points, led by Skoric's 23 points on 6 3PM. Let's start with the big man, Victor Panov. At 6-foot-7, he has great range and mobility. The big man dominated the paint and showed his ability to make things happen off the dribble. Skoric played with ice in his veins as he knocked down timely shot after shot. Each time his team needed a big play, he made it happen whether it was a deep three or he made an impressive drive to the rim. Moretti really impressed me with his finishing ability. The way that he understands how to put a certain spin on the ball based on where the defense is, is something you do not see a lot at this level. 

Battle of the Point Guards

It was a really fun back-and-forth contest to watch from West Oaks Academy's Maurice Odum and DME's Salvatore Pedevilliano. The two guards did everything they could to put their team in a position to win the game. Odum made high level plays throughout the entire game. With his team down by double digits, he went on an incredible run, knocking down multiple threes and throwing crazy dimes. His speed with the ball in his hands was simply unmatched. The defense did not have an answer for him once he got to dancing with the ball. While his team did not walk away with the win, Odum finished with a game high 24 points. Pedevilliano was a huge reason why DME was able to come back and ultimately win the game. Nine of his 15 points came in the fourth quarter, including seven free throws. He showed his ability to knock down shots under pressure as he went 100% from the line down the stretch. 

West Oaks Forwards Impress

West Oaks got solid contributions from both Faheim Meran and Deshawn Jean-Charles. Jean-Charles is a versatile forward that can play and guard multiple positions. He showed that he can knock down shots around the perimeter, score it in the paint, and create off the drive. Meran is an extremely active player that does all the little things teams need to win. He has a non-stop motor created a ton of second chance points for his team with his aggressive rebounding. The duo combined for 31 points in a close loss.