Defense leads Hopewell to 2nd straight Molinelli Classic title
LAWRENCE >> When Hopewell Valley boys basketball coach Matt Stein watches Kevin O’Reilly on defense, he sees a player who takes his matchups personally. That gives him the confidence to assign his junior guard the task of slowing down the opposing team’s best perimeter scorer.
On Friday night in the John Molinelli Holliday Classic championship game at Lawrence High, that role was paramount.
With O’Reilly leading the Bulldogs’ best defensive effort of the season, Hopewell held off Ocean Township for a 48-44 victory to bring home the trophy from the four-team tournament.
“These past two days he’s been a huge part of our team defensively,” Stein said. “Watching throughout this season so far, just his energy, his enthusiasm. He’s a quiet guy, but he’s tenacious. He wants to do whatever the coach wants. He’ll go after anybody. It doesn’t matter. It’s the things that don’t show up in the box score.”
In Thursday’s opening round, O’Reilly wore down Pennington’s Pat Higgins, a 1,000-point career scorer, and then Friday he stepped up against star Ocean freshman Corey Miller, who netted 19 points against Lawrence but only six against Hopewell.
O’Reilly, a newcomer to the varsity team, said the key is understanding his opponents’ tendencies, such as which hand they prefer to use on certain plays.
“I definitely take a lot of pride on the defensive side of the ball, just locking people up and shutting down the other team’s best player,” O’Reilly said. “I feel like that’s kind of my role on the team.”
He also shined with the ball in his hands Friday, scoring a team-high 12 points and helping facilitate the offense.
After five lead changes in the first half, Hopewell never relinquished a 24-19 halftime lead. The Bulldogs pulled ahead by 11 with 2:38 left in the third quarter when Tournament MVP Milo De Los Santos knocked down a 3-pointer.
Ocean refused to go out quietly. With his brother and most of the offense struggling, Jack Miller imposed his will and buried some timely shots as the Spartans pulled within 3335 with 5:45 remaining in the fourth quarter.
A minute later, O’Reilly answered with a 3-pointer from the corner to push Hopewell’s lead back to four. The Bulldogs connected on eight shots from beyond the arc for the game.
“Everybody on our team could shoot, so we just space the floor well,” O’Reilly said. “I got the ball; I was open; I shot it.”
De Los Santos added 10 points. Gabe Rodriguez and Pat Johnson each tallied eight points, and Jake Loughery, who was named to the AllTournament Team, netted five points.
In the final minute, John Broz made two clutch free throws and then blocked a 3-point attempt on defense.
“I think when it came down to it, it was the defensive heart. They did a great job slowing us down on the offensive side of the ball,” Stein said. “Trying to keep our composure was a big thing, because they definitely started to get into us a little bit, and staying strong and staying composed as they made their strong push toward the end.”
Hopewell has now won the Molinelli Classic — named after the late father of Lawrence coach Jeff Molinelli — two consecutive years after having previously not won it since 2004.
HOPEWELL (48)
De Los Santos 3-2-10, Broz 1-2-5, Loughery 1-2-5, Johnson 4-0-8, Rodriguez 2-4-8, O’Reilly 4-1-12.
Totals — 15-11-48.
OCEAN TWP. (44)
C. Miller 2-2-6, J. Miller 10-1-27, Gaber 1-0-2, Arlington 1-0-2, Peters 2-0-5, Cascaes 1-0-2. Totals — 17-3-44.
Hopewell (4-2) 13111113—48 Ocean Twp. (2-4) 10 9 10 15 — 44 3-point goals: O’Reilly 3, De Los Santos 2, Broz 2, Loughery (H), J. Miller 6, Peters (O).
LAWRENCE 55, PENNINGTON 46
Host Lawrence won the tournament’s consolation game behind 12 points apiece from Yahseer Oliver and Joseph Rodriguez.
The Cardinals trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half but settled down defensively in the second half. Rodriguez and Dresel Barnes each hit two clutch free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.
Pennington’s Pat Higgins scored 17 points and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Oliver earned a selection to the All-Tournament Team for Lawrence with 28 points in the two games.
PENNINGTON (46)
Higgins 6-0-17, Bowen 1-3-5, Eng 4-1-11, Hartpence 4-0-8, Ratner 2-0-5. Totals — 17-4-46.
LAWRENCE (55)
Oliver 4-3-12, Barnes 2-2-6, Rodriguez 5-2-12, Jones 2-0-6, Hemsley 4-2-10, Young 4-1-9.
Totals — 21-10-55. Pennington (0-11) 19 12 8 7 — 46 Lawrence (3-2) 12 18 11 14 — 55 3-point goals: Higgins 5, Eng 2, Ratner (P), Oliver, Jones 2 (L).