Kennedy, Hagan carry Rice
Brother Rice coach Bobby Frasor isn’t afraid to give future opponents a scouting report.
‘‘We’ve always struggled against a zone,’’ Frasor said. ‘‘It slows [Crusaders star Marquise] Kennedy down a little bit. That’s been our kryptonite.’’
On Tuesday, Deandre Hagan’s outside shooting made sure the kryptonite wouldn’t be a factor. He enabled Kennedy to score 17 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter to lead Brother Rice to a 73-67 comeback victory against Richards in Oak Lawn.
Hagan made a career-high six three-pointers to finish with 20 points. The Bulldogs played a zone defense for nearly all of the first three quarters.
‘‘He opened it up for me,’’ Kennedy said. ‘‘Once he hit those threes and they came out of the zone, I knew it was time for me to get into the paint and do what I needed to do.’’
Kennedy took over almost instantly, getting to the basket for a three-point play to cut Richards’ lead to three.
‘‘It’s amazing the angles and crevices [Kennedy] can find and then explode and get to the basket in one step,’’ Frasor said. ‘‘That’s a big time quarter right there. He does so much for us, makes big shots, big free throws. He makes winning plays.’’
The 34 points enabled Kennedy, a Loyola recruit, to set the Crusaders’ single-season record for points with 718. He was 7-for-10 from the field and 18-for-21 from the line.
‘‘Our stats person has been telling me how close I was after every game,’’ Kennedy said. ‘‘It’s big, and I’m happy about it.’’
Brother Rice (21-8) trailed by six with three minutes left, but Hagan and Conor Glennon made back-to-back three-pointers to tie the score before Kennedy scored the Crusaders’ final eight points to secure the victory.
‘‘That right corner has been [Hagan’s] spot all year,’’ Frasor said. ‘‘That was a huge shot from Glennon. He’s been working on his shot lately and takes it confidently.’’
The Bulldogs (17-7) had a chance to tie the score with six seconds left, but Sean Willis missed a three-pointer. Richards was playing without Marquel Porter and KaJuan Wines, two of its best players. Porter was ineligible for the game, and Wines is out with an injury.
‘‘They are tough and physical,’’ Frasor said of the Bulldogs. ‘‘They really did a great job, and they are missing two of their top guys. That’s a very dangerous playoff team.’’
Trevon Jones led Richards with 22 points and 16 rebounds. Albert Jones added 15 points and eight rebounds, and Anthony Taylor scored 12 points.
‘‘We know [the Jones brothers] very well,’’ Hagan said. ‘‘They are not fun to play against. They are good kids, just intense.’’