RENAISSANCE vs. MADISON MEMORIAL (WI)

MOTORCITY ROUNDBALL CLASSIC @ COUNTRY DAY

COMING INTO THE CONTEST, THE PHOENIX HAVING PLAYED THE NIGHT BEFORE, WERE READY TO COMPETE. IN EVERY GAME THIS YOUNG SEASON, THE PHOENIX HAVE BATTLED AND COMPETED WITH ALL OPPONENTS, WIN OR LOSS. THIS MADISON MEMORIAL TEAM, HAVING WON A STATE CHMAPIONSHIP IN WISCONSIN AND ALSO HAVING A HIGH MAJOR RECRUIT IN VANDER BLUE CAME INTO DETROIT LOOKING FOR GOOD COMPETITION. MADISON MEMORIAL GOT JUT THAT FROM THE PHOENIX AND MORE.

MEMORIAL JUMPED OUT ON THE PHOENIX IN THE BEGINNGIN WITH A FOUR POINT AS THEY FOUND IT HARD TO MAKE A SHOT. AFTER THE 1ST QUARTER MADISON LEAD 13-7. THE 2ND QUARTER THE PHOENIX KNOCKED DOWN SOME SHOTS BEHIND GERALD JOHNSON'S FOUR THREE POINTERS. MADISON MEMORIAL KEPT THE GAME CLOSE AND TOOK A SIX POINT LEAD INTO HALFTIME. THE THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTERS, BOTH TEAMS PLAYED SOLID COMPETITIVE BASKETBALL AND ALSO PLAYED EVEN BASKETBALL.

THE FOURTH QUARTER WAS A BATTLE INDEED... MARQUETTE SIGNEE VANDER BLUE AND SENIOR CHENE PHILLIPS WENT HEAD TO HEAD TRYING TO LEAD THEIR TEAMS TO VICTORY. BLUE SCORED 13 OF HIS 22 POINTS IN THE 4TH INCLUDING 7-10 FROM THE LINE. CHENE PHILLIPS SCORED 13 OF HIS 17 POINTS INCLUDING 7-8 FROM THE LINE. BOTH PLAYERS PROVED WHY COLLEGES WANT THESE PLAYERS ON THEIR ROSTER, THEY ARE TOUGH AND THEY CAN COMPETE. HOWEVER, ONLY ONE TEAM CAN WIN AND MADISON PULLED OUT A TOUGH 66-59 VICTORY.

BEING A TOUGH, COMPETITVE GAME IT WAS DECIDED IN ONE AREA. MADISON MEORIAL DIDN'T HAVE MUCH A HEIGHT ADVANTAGE OVER THE PHOENIX BUT THEY SURE COULD REBOUND. THEY DOMINATED THE GLASS WITH 17 OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS AND THAT MADE IT HARD FOR THE PHOENIX TO SCORE IN TRANSITION AND GET POSSESSIONS. VANDER BLUE LED THE ATTACK, SCORING 22 POINTS AND GRABBING 20 REBOUNDS.

THE PHOENIX WAS LED BY SENIOR CHENE PHILLIPS SCORING 17 POINTS. JUNIOR GERALD JOHNSON ADDED 12 POINTS ALL FROM BEHIND THE ARC. JOHNSON HAS A TEAM HIGH 22 MADE THREE POINTERS THIS SEASON. FRESHMAN CLARK BISHOP HAD A SOLID ALL-AROUND GAME SCORING 8 POINTS.

PHOENIX BOX SCORE