Hoopsgiving delivered another slate of competitive early-season matchups, showcasing toughness, tempo swings, and top individual performances. Two games in particular, Holy Innocents vs. Meadowcreek and Vashon vs. Davidson Day highlighted the middle slate of a full schedule of Friday games.
Holy Innocents 55, Meadowcreek 40
Holy Innocents controlled large stretches of the game, leaning on a balanced attack and timely stops to secure a 55–40 win.
Devin Hutcherson gave Holy Innocents versatility as a scorer—punishing defenders on the block, slicing through gaps in the lane, and knocking down catch-and-shoot looks. The Belmont signee was the matchup problem Meadowcreek never quite solved.
2028 CG Jaden McCullough, operating as a steady combo guard who initiated the offense and cleaned the glass on the defensive end. His instincts on both sides of the ball kept HEIS organized when possessions got messy.
King Araujo flashed his natural talent, the 2029 prospect showed why he’s a long-term prospect, but also displayed moments of youth. Meadowcreek’s defensive pressure rattled him at times, particularly in the second quarter when HEIS struggled with turnovers and lost rhythm.
To their credit, Meadowcreek never folded. Well-coached and disciplined, they ran sharp sets and stayed scrappy. When Holy Innocents threatened to blow the game open early, Meadowcreek tightened the defense, forced turnovers, and cut the halftime deficit to 28–21. But the second-half push from HEIS was too much, and the Golden Bears closed strong.
Vashon 53, Davidson Day 47
Davidson Day came into the game with a huge size advantage with 6’10” 2028 Xavier Hall, and seniors 7’0″ Cody Peck and 6’11” William Stevens. Vashon came into the matchup undersized but unbothered. What they lacked in height, they made up for with pure tenacity and a flamethrower in 2027 guard Jimmy McKinney III.
McKinney caught fire early, drilling three straight threes and four total in the first half, keeping Vashon within striking distance despite Davidson Day’s size advantage.
Davidson Day had opportunities to control the game but never fully leveraged their physical edge. Instead, they settled for jumpers, got out-worked on 50-50 balls, and failed to consistently punish Vashon inside.
Even so, Davidson Day made a push, extending the lead to double digits in the third quarter. But Vashon responded with relentless pressure defense and another surge from McKinney, who finished with 22 points and four triples. His backcourt running mate, 6’3″ 2027 G Cameryn James added electric plays above the rim, energizing the comeback.
The final minutes belonged to Vashon, who closed the game on a strong run to secure a hard-earned 53–47 win, a performance fueled by toughness, energy, and timely shot-making.