Benton Harbor rallies past South Haven in front of raucous crowd

SOUTH HAVEN - Benton Harbor overcame a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit to topple South Haven 50-49 on the road.

The Tigers orchestrated a vicious press in the final eight minutes, forcing numerous South Haven turnovers.

South Haven (8-1) has a deep, talented roster and will certainly take this as a learning experience, as a squad and school having a breakout season.

Benton Harbor MVP: Kesean Hobbs, 6-3

Hobbs had a relatively quiet game for his lofty standards, but the standout sophomore turned up the pressure in the fourth quarter and finished with 12 points. Hobbs can play any position on the perimeter and will likely settle in at point guard, making him an intriguing D2 college prospect. Hobbs is a long, lanky defender who excels at getting in passing lanes and closing out in half-court situations. He’s a great shooter and slasher with tons of upside.

South Haven MVP: Mason Parks, 6-1

Parks is a rising senior with a smooth, silky game. He glides past defenders and is good at hitting mid-range jumpers and floaters. His outside game has improved and although he isn’t vocal, he leads the team as the most calming influence. Parks finished with a team-high 16 points and made some crucial buckets in helping South Haven jump out to a 12-point lead. This game should help him figure out what it takes to handle a full-court press in the most important moments.

Looking Ahead

Benton Harbor

The Tigers are small. Hobbs at 6-3 is their tallest player. But they are fearless and even outrebounded a much taller South Haven team in this game. Their aggressive defense and 3-point shooting will keep them in most games. Ben Harbor is in one of the toughest districts in the state. Edwardsburg, Berrien Springs, which features Oregon commit J.J. Frakes (6-4), and Niles all have the firepower to hoist the trophy. After that, if the stars align, the Tigers could see South Haven again in the regional final. The winner of that game will likely have to beat Grand Rapids’ best team in the quarterfinals for a trip to the Breslin Center.

South Haven

The Rams were so close to earning a program-defining win, but just played way too rushed in the fourth quarter, feeding into what Benton Harbor was hoping to accomplish. Parks looks like a reliable point guard with some nice scoring instincts, but he could still be a little stronger with the ball. Grayson Knox (6-3) came off the bench and ignited the crowd, scoring 14 points, 11 of which came in the third quarter. Fellow junior Noah Weaver (6-2) has the tools to attract at least D3 colleges. He’s a good-sized point guard with a nice outside jumper. He also plays strong getting to the basket and finishing through traffic. He probably has the most upside on the team. South Haven’s bigs Mathias Bray (6-6) and Isaac Chalupa (6-5) couldn’t get anything going in this game, but both are assets the Rams will lean on as the season progresses.