Hendricken too much for Clippers
Zancan nets 18 points in Division I defeat
CUMBERLAND – On the verge of getting run out their own gym, the Cumberland High boys basketball managed to make things extremely interesting against three-time state champion Bishop Hendricken on Wednesday night.
The Hawks seemed in complete command as they enjoyed a 20-point lead with seven minutes to go. Instead of going down quietly, the Clippers dusted themselves and managed to throw a significant scare at their opponent. When promising sophomore Jackson Walsh drained a corner three off an inbound with four minutes remaining, Cumberland’s deficit stood at a manageable eight points.
The hoop from Walsh proved to be Cumberland’s final points until a last-second basket as Hendricken scored the game’s next 10 points to pull away for a 70-54 win at the Wellness Center.
The Hawks will carry a 15-1 league record into Thursday’s home against St. Raphael. Hendricken will be returning to the Blackstone Valley next Tuesday for a must-see contest against Woonsocket.
Like Hendricken, Cumberland (8-8, Division I) will also back in action on Thursday. The road beckons with a contest at Cranston East. The regular-season finale is scheduled for next Tuesday with East Providence visiting as part of the Senior Night festivities.
Last year, Hendricken and Cumberland met in the Final Four of the R.I. open state tournament. The Hawks put their foot down early en route to sailing to a 74-49 win.
This year’s meeting resembled a roller coaster with each team looking brilliant for stretches and lost in others. Hendricken opened the game with five quick points but Cumberland delivered an impressive answer with 10 straight points. The lead for the Clippers stood at 12-7 after Seth Anderson scored off a nice feed from Shane Meerbott.
The Hawks saw that fivepoint deficit and ripped off a 19-2 run that sank the home team in a 26-14 hole. The turnovers were starting to add up for the Clippers, yet the more pressing issue was their inability to snag defensive rebounds. That problem really hit home after Cumberland closed to within 32-26 after Ben Keeler and Dante Aviles-Santos made back-to-back threes.
Hendricken closed the first half on an 8-2 run that featured second-chance points from Angel Sanchez and Bobby Fiorito. The Hawks ended up with 10 second-chance points in the half, a major reason why they enjoyed a 40-28 lead at halftime.
“They’re very physical,” noted CHS head coach Gary Reedy.
Things looked dire for the Clippers even after Colin Mories got the hoop for an and-one opportunity that cut Hendricken’s lead to 5338 with 9:37 left. Reedy still had one more trick up his sleeve as he slapped together a man-to-man defense after switching between zones for the first 30 minutes. The adjustment worked as Hendricken managed just two points over a five-minute span.
“We couldn’t play man the whole game. We would have been burnt out,” Reedy said.
Offensively, Walsh provided a spark with two threes as part of an eight-point showing that highlighted a 14-2 run for a Cumberland team that managed to move to within striking distance of Hendricken.
“He’s been coming on lately. He’s getting better,” Reedy said about Walsh.
The Clippers had a chance to cut into the Hawks’ eightpoint advantage but committed a turnover and missed a jumper from the right wing. Hendricken got back on track behind a strong drive from Sebastian Thomas, who led all scorers with 19 points. The Hawks ended up with 19 second-chance points.
“We’ve been spending a lot of time on rebounding and getting the guys to play with toughness,” Hendricken head coach Jamal Gomes said.
Zancan led Cumberland with 18 points while Aviles-Santos closed with 13 points. Hendricken outscored Cumberland by 10 points at the foul line. BISHOP HENDRICKEN (70): Bobby Fiorito 5 0-0 11, Sebastian Thomas 8 0-0 19, Sebastian Basillo 2 0-0 4, Andre De Los Santos 5 2-4 13, Angel Sanchez 1 5-9 7, Helio Sousa 1 1-2 3, Jason Onye 1 0-0 2, Tyriek Weeks 2 4-4 8, Cameron Hughes 0 2-2 2. Totals: 25 14-21 70. CUMBERLAND (54): Jacob Morey 0 0-0 0, Jackson Walsh 3 0-0 8, Dante Aviles-Santos 5 1-5 13, Shane Meerbott 0 0-0 0, William Andrews 1 0-0 2, Ben Keeler 1 0-0 3, Mason Matos 0 0-0 0, Jackson Zancan 8 1-1 18, Colin Mories 2 2-5 6, Seth Anderson 1 0-0 2. Totals: 22 4-11 54. Halftime: BH 40-28.
Three-point field goals: BH 6 (Sebastian Thomas 3, Bobby Fiorito, Andre De Los Santos); C 6 (Jackson Walsh 2, Dante Aviles-Santos 2, Ben Keeler, Jackson Zancan).