Anthony Clemmons found himself at the top of the key, his team clinging to a 1-point lead. But the lane parted like the Red Sea for Clemmons, who slammed the ball through the basket — an exclamation point in his team’s 95-92 win.

Adam Woodbury called it “wild.” Jarrod Uthoff said it was “something else.”

Clemmons put it a bit simpler. 

“That’s what I do.” he said.

The sophomore guard finished with 21 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds in the win. Uthoff led all scorers with 33 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists.

For Woodbury’s team, shooting guard Peter Jok finished with 30 points on 8-of-11 shooting despite tweaking a finger on his non-shooting hand. Woodbury finished with 18 points and 17 rebounds.

It looked like another loss was imminent for the team after suffering their first on Sunday.

Clemmons’ team trailed 85-79 with fewer than five minutes remaining in the second half. But Uthoff found his way to the free throw line six times, Clemmons dunked, and the team pulled out the victory.

“I wasn’t worried,” Clemmons said about falling behind late in the second half. “I told the guys ‘Let’s turn it up,’ and that’s what we did. We matched their intensity on defense and got stops when we needed. I think that’s what changed the game and what helped us come back.”

Gesell’s team captures third win

The first contest of last night’s Prime Time League play featured Mike Gesell’s squad taking on Coach Ron Nove’s team in a sloppy affair highlighted by fouls, miscues, botched shots, and turnovers. Gesell’s team captured a 110-100 victory despite an inconsistent shooting performance by the Black and Gold sophomore.

He looked out of sync and struggled to find a rhythm in the first half, shooting 1-of-6 from the field. He consistently faced heavy defensive pressure and was double-teamed often. Still, he was an offensive force — Gesell dished out 16 assists, adding to his league-leading total.

“Every game is different,” he said. “It’s almost like a game of chess. You have to see what they’re doing and adjust to it. You can’t always play the same way, so you have to take what the defense is giving you.”

Gesell’s team began to find an offense rhythm in the second half. Gesell drained a 3 from the corner that sparked a 22-point outburst for the Hawkeye guard. He finished with 25 points. Teammate Okey Ukah poured in an additional 22 points and 10 rebounds.

McCabe’s team finishes untouched

It was business as usual for Zach McCabe and Gabe Olaseni.

McCabe’s team jumped out to an early 38-19 lead and left no chance for Devyn Marble to bring his team back. Olaseni’s defensive presence made it difficult for Marble and his teammates to get into the paint, forcing them to try to score from the perimeter. The 3s didn’t fall, and McCabe’s and Olaseni’s team completed a perfect summer-league regular season with a 120-96victory.  

Olaseni put the exclamation point on a blowout victory with 9:48 remaining in regulation when he garnered a loose rebound and threw down a powerful dunk, putting his team ahead by 22 points. He finished the game with a double-double, tallying 30 points and 17 boards on 14-of-16 shooting.

“Everyone is playing well and doing his role,” Olaseni said. “If we keep playing like this, we can win the whole thing.”