Cougars Dominate Fraser
February 16, 2015
Friday night’s contest was one that lived up to all the hype it had been given. While nobody thought the Ramblers had a chance to win this game, they were there to see this great Dakota team. They have some of the best players in Macomb County and man were they as good as advertised.
Jermaine Jackson Jr. (11) of Dakota guards Fraser’s Sebastian Tavalieri (20) during February 13th’s matchup.
Mount Clemens’ transfers Jermaine Jackson Jr. and Charles Penn put on a show Friday night. The two unsung leaders of this Cougars team helped Dakota beat Fraser 72-46.
Dakota entered the night on a twelve game win streak. They had not lost since December 16, 2014 and tonight would be no different. Dakota set the pace for the game by pushing the ball up and down the court at an astonishing pace. Fraser could not hang with this fast pace and found themselves 21-9 mid way through the first quarter. It would not get better as they were down 30-12 by the end of the first quarter. Marcus Rice had eight points after the first for the Ramblers as did Jermaine Jackson Jr. of Dakota.
As play slowed down in the second quarter, the Ramblers tried to get back into the game, but never could. Horrendous defense and bad shot selection were the things that derailed this team from being competitive in this game.
Late in the second quarter, Alexander Hagel went up and threw the ball down with two hands. This was one of the few times anyone has dunked in game at Fraser this season. The dunk by the senior forward helped energize the team and take a 44-23 lead into the half.
Watching Jermaine Jackson Jr. penetrate the lane so easily reminded many of his father, a former NBA player and ex piston. While he may only be a 5’9″ point guard, he definitely plays way above the rim. He finishes at the rim with such a beautiful combination of power and elegance. Jermaine is already a 2-star prospect in the 2017 recruiting class and will be a delight to watch at the college level.
Dakota pushed the pace again as they had back in the first. They hoped to put this game out of reach and give their starters a much needed break. With the help of starting forwards Alexander Hagel and Charles Penn, the Cougars were able to take a huge lead and rest their guys for the end of the third quarter and all of the fourth.
With the starters out and a big lead, the Cougars bench were able to just play and not be worried of a loss. John Hall III came in the game and scored a few baskets immediately. While neither team scored much in the fourth, but the Cougars played phenomenal defense, which was a sight to be seen. Dakota’s back up center, Shaquille Gibson, came in for the whole fourth quarter and managed to block five shots in a span of eight minutes along with adding a couple of ferocious dunks.
Even though the Ramblers were getting destroyed, the student section stayed around…that was until Gibson sent a monstrous block into the bleachers. Right after the block, more than half of the student section left quickly, and for good reason.
The game was over soon after as Dakota blew Fraser right out of their own gym. Jermaine Jackson Jr. led all scorers with sixteen points. Josh Hall III contributed eight points off the bench.
Fraser’s Shawn Jackson (21) shoots his only free throw of the night.
Shawn Jackson had twelve points for the Ramblers as he’s been their most consistent player this year. Senior Marcus Rice had ten points for the Ramblers, but only scored two points in the final 24 minutes.
Fraser must work to play better defense and find their third scorer if they want to make some noise in MAC Districts. Someone has to step up on this team as a third scorer to help solidify the team’s offense. With 11 upperclassmen, this team has more than enough experience to correct their mistakes and win a few of their last games.
The Ramblers look to get back on track Tuesday as they host the Utica Chieftains, February 17th. This is the second game between these two teams this year as Utica beat Fraser at their court on January 23rd by a score of 55-46.
Dakota looks to extend their winning streak to fourteen games when they travel to Warren Cousino on February 17th for a 7:30pm game.
