Xaverian used terrific outside shooting and
a strong defensive effort to bounce back from a tough Tuesday loss to Iona Prep
and earn a tough road win over Christ the King 53-40 last night.
The Clippers outscored the home team 16-6 in
what would prove to be a decisive 3rd period. Leading 23-21 as it began,
they connected on 3 shots from 3-point range; one each from Don Colon-Lewis,
Aaron Goldstein and Supreme Niles. Goldstein had set up Niles’ triple with a
nice drive and kick. And following a tough mid-range shot by CK’s outstanding
freshman Markell Alston, Niles returned the favor, hitting Goldstein with a
perfect pass in the shooting pocket for another 3-pointer.
Goldstein had given the Clippers the
2-point advantage they carried into halftime, opening the period with a steal
and basket followed by a 3-pointer. Junior forward Spencer Mahoney joined the
scoring after that connecting on 8 of his 10 points, including a pair of treys.
Mahoney also played a key part in the Xaverian’s defensive effort, combining
with fellow forwards Lewis and Michael Walker to limit the Royals to one shot
most possessions.
The two teams are similar because both rosters
are filled with talent but also very young. They both have experienced growing
pains in the always difficult CHSAA “AA” league. The Clippers’ learning curve
was steepened by early season injuries to both Mahoney and Walker as well as
the early season absence of Nasir Muhammad. Last night’s impressive win was
just the 6th time the Clippers had their full roster together.
The Royals came into the game having enjoyed
a bit more success while talented youngsters like Alston, versatile 6’9” junior
Brandon Williams, combo guard Devin Vanterpool and rugged sophomore wing Dwayne
Pierce develop. But they too experienced how tough the league can be on Tuesday
when they were beaten by St. Francis Prep, the deepest and best-balanced team
on the Brooklyn-Queens side of the “AA” league.
Following Tuesday’s loss to Iona Prep in a
game that saw the Clippers squander a double-digit lead the Clippers would need
to dig deep to find the resolve they needed to close out a big win. Primarily
that came from a stellar start-to-finish defensive effort, but there were a
couple of key plays for the offense that helped nail things down for the Clippers.
The first came on the very first possession of the final stanza. On the play
Niles made a steal and appeared to have an easy layup. Christ the King’s
Vanterpool, a deceptively athletic 6’3” junior made a terrific chase down
block. It would have been a momentum changing play for the Royals accept that Walker
had followed the play, calmly took the hard carom off the board and converted a
follow basket, giving the Clippers their largest margin of 16 points.
The second 4th quarter moment for
the offense came with just over 3 minutes left. Vanterpool, who tied Goldstein
for game high scoring honors with 15 points, and Williams who had found his touch
in the second half, provided the Royals with an offensive spark. Williams hit a
mid-range jumper to cut the margin to 43-33 and the sense in the gym was that a
rally might be coming. This time, it was Muhammad’s turn to set up a teammate and
he hit sophomore Nico Pena with a perfect transition pass for a trey. Pena has been one of the Clippers’ most reliable
3-point shooters this season. The Royals guarded him well and to his credit he
stayed patient and did not force action. When the opportunity came to make a
big shot, he was ready and drilled it. The basket pushed Xavierian’s lead back to
13 and took the air out of a potential rally for the Royals.
Early this season, national powers Stepinac
and Hayes, along with St, Francis Prep have established themselves at the top
of the league. But if the young Clippers and Royals can stay focused on
improving for a playoff run, they could surprise a favorite or two and make a deep
playoff run of their own.
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