By Tem Chisanga
On Friday May 28th, Landon came out victorious over the Tenley Tigers. Led by a 33 point performance by ‘23 G Tyler Perkins, Landon clawed back from a 15 point halftime deficit to improve to a 3-1 record for the season; despite a strong 29 point performance from ‘24 F Rob Dockery, the Tenley Tigers from Jackson Reed fell to 1-1.
A tale of two halves
After the first half, the game looked all but over as the Tenley Tigers went into halftime leading Landon 45-30. It seemed as if Landon had no answer for Tenley’s athleticism inside and it became more evident as Tenley continued to score off dump offs down low. However, as soon as the second half started, Landon ‘23 G Tyler Perkins led a 22-8 run that cut the deficit to 1 point. While Tenley fought to create separation throughout, it simply wasn’t enough as Landon turned things around on both ends of the floor by keeping Tenley out of the paint, and hitting the shots that didn’t fall in the first half.
Thrilling Finale
Heading into the final 1:40, the game was tied at 71 and both teams fought the entire 1:40. While both teams traded blows in an exciting matchup, Perkins continued his heroics by hitting a clutch 3 to ultimately help Landon secure the win.
What to look out for
The two leading scorers of the game Perkins and Dockery currently sit at second and third in the CHSL points-per-game (PPG) rankings, with Perkins averaging 27.3 points and Dockery averaging 26.5. They were also featured in our week one players of the week article. Landon’s ‘25 G Frankie Mannino also caught my eye with his crafty finishes around the rim and sneaky 14 points to help his team’s efforts. I’ll also be keeping a lookout for Tenley ‘24 G Justin Gilmore who dropped 16 points, and showcased his athleticism by throwing down a monster jam during a fast break.
Upcoming matchups
The Tenley Tigers will look to come back from this defeat on June 4th when they face off against Georgetown Prep. For Landon they will look to ride off of this momentum on June 2nd when they match up against the undefeated Spalding, in what should be a good game.