Carey, Prep knock off Hillhouse
NEW HAVEN — Fairfield Prep showed Wednesday night just why it is the hottest team in the Southern Connecticut Conference.
The Jesuits, 9-1 and winners of nine straight games, knocked off Hillhouse, 66-53, in a Southern Connecticut Conference boys’ basketball battle at the Floyd Little Athletic Center before a limited crowd.
“We have a ton of respect for Hillhouse and everything they do,” Fairfield Prep coach Mike Papale said. “They’ve had a tough year with being shut down early,” Papale said. We knew it would be a battle and I’m proud of our guys.”
The only loss Prep has suffered this winter came at the hands of Wilbur Cross, 55-53, back on Feb. 11 in its season opener. Since then, the Jesuits knocked off some of the league’s elite, including then fourth-ranked Notre Dame-West Haven.
“That first loss helped us,” Fairfield Prep junior Logan Carey said. “It kind of shook us as we thought we were a little better than we were going into that game. We want the No. 1 spot and we want to take our title.”
Fairfield Prep led from almost start to finish. After Hillhouse scored the opening point of the game, the Jesuits took the lead for good.
The visitors started raining three-pointers from all over the court. Three differ
ent players canned treys in the opening eight minutes as Fairfield Prep pushed its lead to 15-5 after one quarter.
But in the second quarter, the Jesuits’ perimeter game took over the contest. They hit five threes, with Carey (26 points) and Max Manjos each with two and Conner Moore another as they took a 36-20 edge at halftime.
“That’s a big part of our team,” Carey said. “We always have that shooting mentality and we’re going to keep shooting. I like to get to the rim as it’s a lot of my game. I was pretty comfortable out there, so I just let it fly.”
A 15-8 spurt to start the third quarter gave Fairfield Prep its biggest lead of the night, 51-28, with 1:04 remaining in the period.
In the fourth quarter, Hillhouse was able to get its deficit down to 10 points, 59-49, when Jeff Carmon (11 points) hit a pair of free throws with 2:55 left, but it was too late.
“The guys came in the second half and we were down by 20, but we brought it within fighting distance,” Hillhouse coach Renard Sutton said. “I’m pleased with that.”
Hillhouse, which dropped to 2-4 with the loss, still hasn’t recovered from two weeks in quarantine after a Covid-19 case in the community.
“I’m going through pandemic woes with a young team,” Sutton said. “I don’t think since we started the season we’ve been able to get a full practice because of stipulations. And then we went out in quarantine for a couple weeks. We have young, inexperienced varsity guys and it’s starting to take its toll.”
ROAD WARRIORS
Fairfield Prep won’t have another true home game this season as Alumni Hall is being torn down to make way for a new home for both Fairfield University and Fairfield Prep. The Jesuits will have their last practice there Friday and then will have to find a place to play any SCC home tournament game.
‘We’ll find a place to play, but we have no idea where that will be,” Papale said.