#12 Groves earns contender status after double-digit win over #19 De La Salle

Birmingham Groves earned a 76-66 home win over Warren De La Salle Wednesday night, making an early-season statement in front of a lively crowd.

The Falcons (1-0) used a mixture of pressure defense, 3-point shooting and athleticism to build a healthy second-half lead.

De La Salle (0-2) was trying to avoid their worst start since 2016 when they began 1-2. But the Pilots couldn’t keep up with Groves’ relentless pace.

Birmingham Groves MVP: Joshua Gibson, 6-1, Sr.

Gibson scored 18 points in the first half, setting the tone for Groves’ electric effort. Gibson, who committed to D2 Alabama-Huntsville, torched the nets all night and also created turnovers on defense. He looked hungry to show the state he deserves Mr. Basketball consideration.

De La Salle MVP: Delos Rossell, 6-4, Sr.

Even though the lanky senior didn’t start, he certainly made his presence felt knocking down several 3-pointers, including a couple during the team’s third-quarter run. The Pilots shot a ton of 3-pointers and Rossell looked the most consistent in that area. His ability to stretch the defense could be key for this team moving forward.

Birmingham Groves

What an electric performance! This Groves team was hungry to show what they could do and certainly rose to the occasion. Gibson is a tremendous player who just keeps improving every year. Forward John Simpson (6-5), who is committed to D2 Northwood University, is one of the state’s most athletic players and can play almost any position. He was a little cold from 3-point range, but was a force driving in the lane and making life difficult for De La Salle would-be scorers.

Groves shooting guard Beau Kennard (6-1), who was at times unconscious from 3-point range, provided a major boost with 18 points. Paul Hubbard IV (5-9) is a great point guard for this team. He plays with maximum effort, he’s a great floor general and he looks to get the ball up the court. If sophomore center David Jones (6-7) takes a jump, watch out. Groves could be a March sleeper in the making.

De La Salle

This is not the same De La Salle team that controlled tempo and regularly held opponents under 50 points for the past three seasons. With a new head coach, the Pilots tried to keep pace with Groves and just couldn’t. Toledo signee Phoenix Glassnor (6-0) scored in double figures, but he was mostly held in check. After scoring 14 points in the first half, D2 Central State commit Armoni Portis (6-1) fell off a bit in the second half, but he and Glassnor are still an elite one-two punch.

Jayden Poggiolo (6-5) and Spencer Scott (6-7) are solid rebounders and finishers around the basket, but they couldn’t keep up with the pace Groves set. I liked Rossell’s game over the summer, and he impressed again in this game. He probably should be starting as a third scoring option.