The third game for day five of Phenom’s Holiday Classic took place between two quality programs in Gaston Day and Charlotte Country Day. Gaston Day entered this contest with more talent than majority of private school teams in North Carolina. Meanwhile, Charlotte Country Day continues to prove themselves a tough, scrappy squad against varying levels of competition. Although Charlotte Country Day came out of the gates with poise and secured the first lead, they were met with a pretty balanced attack from Gaston Day—who ultimately finished the quarter with an 18-9 advantage. After the initial period, Charlotte Country Day immediately rattled off a 12-2 run, regained the lead, and entered halftime with a 23-25 advantage. Following the break, things settled down for both squads. There were numerous lead changes, but Charlotte
Country Day held onto a 32-33 lead going into the final period. Things only continued to tighten up, as it remained a battle down the stretch, and ultimately resulted in a 52-42 victory for Gaston Day.
Gaston Day:
5’9 ’22 Chris Britt
Though undersized, Britt always seems to find ways to be an effective piece on both ends of the floor. He’s lightning-quick and extremely fast in the open floor, which consistently makes him a problem for opponents in transition and at the point of attack. Britt utilizes his sharp first step to touch the paint, make unselfish reads, and finish or convert his lethal midrange pull-up. He changes directions extremely well and understands how to create space with relative ease. Britt contains his assignment nicely on defense and looks to push the break at every possible opportunity.
6’0 ’21 Dean Hunter
Given the balance displayed by this group, Hunter offered a very necessary presence as a shooting threat. He spot-up, moved well without the ball, and capitalized on opportunities off the catch at a high percentage. Hunter plays within the flow of the offense, works hard defensively, and forced the opposition to give him extra attention after heating up.
Charlotte Country Day:
5’9 ’21 Cameron Ray
Although they showcased a balanced approach, Ray highlighted obvious value as the primary floor general for this squad. He consistently set up the offense, got downhill as a penetrator, and made smart decisions with the ball in his hands. Ray defended well and looked to get out in transition whenever possible.
6’5 ’23 Spencer Mermans
Given their lack of true interior size, Charlotte Country Day certainly needed the vital contributions that Mermans brought to the table. He plays bigger than his size would imply, specifically as a rebounder, and secured multiple second-chance opportunities—each one seemingly more significant than the previous. Mermans positioned himself effectively around the basket on offense, which led to numerous finishes from drop-off passes.