Novans win with defense
Woonsocket out-hustles St. Raphael
PAWTUCKET – So this is what it looks like when the Woonsocket High boys basketball team snaps to it on the defensive end.
Per usual, putting the ball in the hoop wasn’t the problem for T.J. Ciolfi’s crew on Tuesday night. What enabled the Villa Novans to coast to a 77-61 victory over St. Raphael at Alumni Hall was the ability to cobble a bunch of stops together. The Saints managed just 11 points in the opening eight minutes of the second half, and that dry spell enabled the visitors to gain plenty of separation en route to picking up a Division I victory on the road.
“You really can’t defend any better than we did,” said Ciolfi after Woonsocket improved to 2-1 in league action. “If our guys buy into that the whole year, we’re going to be very good.”
The Novans turned those aforementioned stops into one easy runout after another. At one point in the second half, Woonsocket scored 18 points on either layups or dunks.
The conga line to the hoop enabled Denzel Lyles, Ke’Vaughn Davis and their teammates to enjoy a 30-point lead with five minutes remaining.
Lyles distinguished himself with a team-high 23 points that included going 9-of-10 at the foul line. Davis was easily the Novans’ best player on the night. Not only did he score (17 points) but he also defended and held SRA’s top scorer, senior Huascar Beato, to five points.
“He’s special,” said Ciolfi about Davis. “We’re always looking to put him on the other team’s top scoring threat. He stayed with Huascar and he gave us scoring. I don’t care if he scores.”
Dwayne Robinson-O’Hagan netted 12 points for Woonsocket while Jaelin Jackson added 11 points on three 3-pointers.
“I don’t know who we’re going to play who’s going to keep us in the 50s,” said Ciolfi. “We have five guys averaging in double figures. They’re all capable of scoring 20 points, but by the time we get going, everybody gets their 10 points and we’re already in the 70s and the game is over.”
Woonsocket jumped on St. Raphael behind a 9-3 lead that forced veteran Saints head coach Tom “Saar” Sorrentine to call a timeout. The Saints managed to move within one (14-13) as Avion Bloe got hot, but a 7-1 run behind a Jackson three and a Davis lauyup gave the Novans some separation.
The Saints regrouped and managed to take a 23-21 lead behind a jumper by Beato, but it seemed every time the home team made a push, the Novans knew exactly how to answer. St. Ra- phael missed eight straight shots as the first half came to a close, most of them point-blank layups. Bloe did hit a three that cut Woonsocket’s lead to 36-34, but Jackson hit a triple and Lyles made a pair at the line to help Woonsocket enjoy a 41-34 lead at halftime.
The same two Woonsocket players helped stretch the lead to double digits early in the second before the Saints made what proved to be their final push. Back-to-back hoops from Bloe cut the deficit to 49-40, but that’s when Woonsocket dropped the hammer with a 24-5 run that proved to seal the deal.
Bloe finished a game-high 27 points with 21 coming in the opening half. Zaheer Santiago added 11 points for the Saints, who have now dropped two straight after staging an impressive road win at La Salle.
“They get out on the break and run,” said Sorrentine. “They got every loose ball.”
Both teams are in action Friday. Woonsocket hosts La Salle while St. Raphael welcomes Smithfield.