SPRINGFIELD, Ma. – Not quite 48 hours and 3,000 miles removed from a superb effort in a Trinity League victory, the Mater Dei High basketball team wasn’t quite as sharp Friday night during its Spalding Hoophall Classic game Friday night at Springfield College.
The Monarchs, who knocked off previously unbeaten Santa Margarita Wednesday night, didn’t play with nearly the same level of execution at both ends of the floor while handling Manchester (CT) East Catholic, 73-58.
Junior Zack Davidson (17 points and nine rebounds) and freshman Tre Bartlett (10 points, 14 rebounds and three assists) continued to play as well as should be expected from a couple of guys who are rapidly developing into one of the upper-tier pair of posts on any team in California.
Davidson (pictured) and Bartlett were every bit as impressive – if not more – in the 64-46 Trinity League victory Wednesday night.
They – along with a nice of collection of perimeter players, including senior Kaden Minter (13 points Friday) night – are big reasons why the Monarchs (17-2 overall and 2-0 in league) seem on track to win another Trinity title.
That pursuit resumes next week, when they’re at home in Santa Ana to JSerra (Wednesday) and St. John Bosco (Friday).
Even with early Thursday a.m. trek to LAX (they left camp at 3:15) for the Flight to Boston, the tour of the city that day, and the Saturday and Sunday that the team and traveling party will spend in New York City, there was no shortage of “focus” on an opponent that had only played six games before Friday.
And, according to Davidson, the reason was obvious.
“We have to be ready every time we play,” he said. “We’ve lost twice on these trips (referencing defeats to Chicago Simeon on Dec. 4 and to New York St. Francis – by 33 points – in a Florida tournament tourney two weeks later).”
The Monarchs got a chance to show off its Class of 2024, as sophomores Brady Karich (five points and two assists), Troy Jenkins (three 3s) and Scott Belnap (eight points and two 3s) each played well off the bench, as did freshman Owen Verna.
Junior guard Luke Reilly led East Catholic (4-3) with 20 points.
In the other two games played Friday night:
Junior Mikey Williams scored 22 points with four assists as Vertical Academy (“based” in North Carolina although there is no “campus”) held off West Chester (PA) Westtown, 67-65.
Duke-bound, 7-foot-1 Derrick Lively, after a bit of a sluggish first quarter, turned things up to go for 22 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks.
And another 7-footer, Donovan Clingan (he signed with Connecticut in November), helped Bristol (CT) Central toppled Springfield Central, 53-44, with 24 points, 16 rebounds and 10 blocks.
Action resumes in Blake Arena Saturday with eight games.
Leave a Reply