A group of young Christian Brothers Academy reserves helped turn around a close game Friday night at Ned McGraw Gymnasium.
Nick Marini, Tyrell Ramsey and Greig Stire scored 16 points off the bench in a second-quarter swing as the Brothers built a double-digit lead and maintained it to a 73-56 Big 10 victory over Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons.
“We have some great seniors. When we come in, we try to fill their shoes,” said Marini, a sophomore guard. “We try to play as hard as we can, and we try to contribute as much as we can. We try to keep the intensity that the seniors had.”
Marini scored seven points, Ramsey had five and Stire added four to help the reigning league and Section II Class AA champs turn a tie ball game into 42-26 halftime advantage. Johnny Villanueva scored on a scoop shot for the Golden Knights to knot the contest at 20-20 before the hosts went on their 22-6 run that included three-point hoists from Marini early and Ramsey late.
“Nick stepped up tonight, and Stire picked us up inside. We’re deep once again this year,” said CBA senior swingman Joe Krong, who scored four of his team-leading 17 points in the key second quarter. “Down the stretch, those young kids will be weapons for us, and we’ll need them.”
“We’re looking for guys to come in and step up. That’s what their guys did,” ND-BG coach Joe
Mahoney said of the Brothers. “They’re so deep, and they all run their stuff so well.”
CBA (2-0) went on a 13-0 run to break away from Bishop Gibbons (0-2), and after a three by Imre Megyeri, the Brothers rattled off seven more points to go up, 40-23.
“You’ve got to give them credit for being so scrappy,” said Marini. “I think we wore them down.”
Marini started CBA’s second-quarter surge with a three-point basket, and in the 7-0 push that followed, the 10th-grader sandwiched a layup and a short jumper aroud a three by Ramsey.
“We missed, they scored, and it escalated so quickly,” said Mahoney. “That’s tough to come back from.”
“In the second quarter, we went with a little zone and tried to chase them,” said CBA coach Dave Doemel. “They took some quick shots, we got the rebounds and we went the other way.”
Marini finished with 12 points, 10 more than in his varsity debut Tuesday when CBA slugged Catholic Central, 77-37. Christian Leppanen also notched 12 points to go with five rebounds, six assists and three steals in the Brothers’ 36th straight league win, and 48th straight victory against all Section II opponents.
“I didn’t think he was going to come in and do that. To his credit, he knocked down shots and made a couple of moves to the basket,” Mahoney said of Marini, who had two assists and a steal. “He played well.”
Pat Caruso scored on a tip-in and Kyle Garrison dropped in a layup as Bishop Gibbons got within 12 to begin the third quarter. CBA’s lead quickly went to 18, at 48-30, when Leppanen converted a three-point play and Marini followed with a three-point bomb.
“They certainly can score the ball,” Doemel said of his reserves. “They make good decisions and they hustle. They still need to develop, but I like what I’m seeing.”
Caruso led ND-BG with 17 points, Villanueva scored 10 with six rebounds, and James Vice collected seven points and five assists.
“We battled and we played hard,” said Mahoney. “There’s always things you can take away from a game.”
Caruso gave the Golden Knights their first lead since 1-0 and 18-17 on a three late in the first quarter. Krong beat the buzzer with a three to give CBA a 20-18 lead.
“I expected them to come out strong. They have good athletes and they go after it,” Doemel said of the Knights. “I thought we had to do some exceptional things to get the lead in that second quarter.”
Chaz Lott scored nine points for the Brothers, and Ramsey had the first seven points of his varsity career.
BISHOP GIBBONS
Kilinski 1-0-2, Freeman 1-1-3, Garrison 3-0-6, Martuscello 2-0-5, Villanueva 4-2-10, Caruso 6-1-17, Vice 1-5-7, Megyeri 2-0-6.
Totals: 20-9-56.
CBA
Leppanen 5-1-12, Lott 4-0-9, Krong 6-3-17, Cancer 3-0-6, Ricketts 1-0-2, Brundige 1-1-3, Marini 5-0-12, Ramsey 3-0-7, Stire 2-1-5. Totals: 30-6-73.
Bishop Gibbons 18 8 14 16 — 56
CBA 20 22 18 13 — 73
Three-point goals: Martuscello, Caruso 4, Megyeri 2, Leppanen, Lott, Krong 2, Marini 2, Ramsey.
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Categories: High School Sports, Sports
