Branden Dawson scores 20 in Lew Wallace (Hornets) victory over Arlington (Knights)

Branden Dawson scored 20 points and pulled down 8 rebounds as Gary Wallace defeated Arlington High School 66-60 Saturday night. Dawson and Wallace were able to fend off a late Arlington run to maintain the lead and secure the victory. Latroy Taylor scored a game high 23 points for the hornets, many which came off penetration of the Knights' defense.

After a relatively slow first half (27-19 Wallace edge) both teams picked up the tempo, playing more of a fast pace game and going back and forth exchanging buckets. Arlington was led by senior guard Cody Rhorer and junior guard Josh Johnson who both scored 15 points for the host Knights. Midway through the 4th quarter Arlington cut the Lew Wallace lead to 3 points, but the Hornets were able to hang on and win the game by a 6 point margin.

Scouting:

-(2011) Branden Dawson- Dawson showcased the total package tonight, scoring in a variety of ways for Lew Wallace. Dawson shot 10-14 from the field, as his only deficiency was his 0-2 three point shooting. Dawson's jumper looks great from 18' in as his only two misses were on a contested layup, and a missed dunk. Dawson showed a good handle on the ball, driving to the basket and scoring after the foul. Branden pulled down 3 offensive rebounds and scored on all 3 2nd chance opportunities. He also showcased his athletic ability, throwing down a 2 handed cock-back lob off an inbounds play. Dawson showed toughness on defense, grabbing 2 steals and blocking a shot. Dawson's one issue on defense is being aggressive and giving effort on every defensive possession. The thing which impressed me most about Dawson was his passing. Dawson knew when to give up the ball, often passing out of double and triple teams to find wide open teammates. He recorded 3 assists on the game, but his passing had more of an impact than those 3 assists. All in all, Dawson is an elite prospect who is nearly unstoppable at the high school level. He fights through double teams and still scores after being hacked and smacked down low. If Dawson develops a consistent 3 point shot, Dawson could easily be a top 10 talent nationally, and more importantly an unstoppable college player.

-(2010) Latroy Taylor- This senior guard for the Lew Wallace Hornets showed toughness and composure in a highly competitive game. He has a tight handle on the ball and gets into the lane at will, scoring on contested lay-ups and finding teammates for open shots. Defensively he is solid applying good half-court and full-court pressure to opposing guards. He also possesses a formidable jump shot, enough to keep the defense honest. He appears to be a solid prospect, who appears to be a college level player.