The probability of defeating the same team three times in one season is 12.5 percent. Salesian accomplished the feat against St. Patrick/St. Vincent on Saturday. St. Pat's held an early second quarter lead but the Pride's defensive pressure allowed them to cruise to a 78-38 win and the Bay Shore Athletic League title.
In the first quarter, St. Pat's had several second shot attempts as it was able to obtain several offensive rebounds. The Bruins had a 12-11 lead at the end of the first quarter, which was their highest scoring quarter of the game.
St. Pat's scored the first basket of the second quarter to hold its biggest lead of the game at 14-11. The Bruins would then go through a scoring drought that ended with free throws at the 2:51 mark. By then, Salesian had built a 24-16 margin in route to a 31-19 halftime score.
The Pride took advantage of sloppy ball handling to score the first 10 points of the third quarter to lead 41-19. The Bruins would finally score at the 5:06 mark to cut the deficit to 41-22. Salesian would close the quarter with a 51-30
The Pride kept the pressure on as they scored 27 points in the fourth quarter. Conversely, the offensive struggles of the Bruins continued as they could only tally 8 points in the quarter. The final score had Salesian winning 78-38 for the title.
How this game was won: Sophomore guard Markel Leonard stressed how the Pride turned up the defensive pressure and rebounding in the second half. Salesian used a full court press and also employed on the ball pressure in the half court to cause several turnovers. In addition, the Salesian length in the interior gave it the rebounding advantage.
Turning Point: After taking their biggest lead at 14-11 in the second quarter, the Bruins' offense dried up as Salesian took a 24-14 lead. At that point, the Pride cruised through the half and the rest of the game.
St. Patrick/St. Vincent analysis: Senior Robbie Herndon and freshman Demoriaye Hart-Spikes each had 8 points for the Bruins. Facing a bigger Salesian team, the Bruins had to have solid perimeter shooting but were only able to make one 3-point shot for the game. Facing a high octane Salesian offense, the Bruins needed more scorers but only Herndon and Hart-Spikes scored more than 3 points in the game.
Salesian analysis: A balanced scoring attack as six players had more than 8 points with sophomores Jabari Bird and Mario Dunn leading with 15 and 11 points respectively. The Pride depended on layups and interior scoring as they only hit three 3-point shots. Dunn stated how the defense allowed the Pride to convert on the fast break offense.
What is next for St. Pat's: The Bruins are now 23-7 and will await the seeding process in NCS. The Bruins and the Pride are both in Division 4 and could possibly see each other for a fourth time. The chances of defeating a team four consecutive times are 6.125 percent.
What is next for Salesian: Salesian is now 18-11 and will look to win NCS. Coach Bill Mellis stated how the team handled the mid-season off court distractions well and with maturity. His assessment of his team was that they played well in the preseason, hit a plateau for three weeks, and are now peaking at the end of the season and going into playoffs.
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