D-II champs face stiff test vs. La Salle
CUMBERLAND – Fresh off a stellar, truly satisfying 72- 64 victory over topranked Shea in the Division II tournament championship tilt on Sunday, Cumberland High’s players naturally are feeling rather good about themselves.
Veteran mentor Gary Reedy nevertheless knows full well his team’s road to a potential state Open tourney title won’t come easy, as his Clippers will have to manufacture more essential upsets.
Some would say Reedy’s crew won’t be an underdog when seventh-ranked Cumberland faces 10th-seeded La Salle Academy in an Open preliminary clash at Rhode Island College’s Murray Center at 7:30 tonight, but the coach isn’t so sure.
“I worry about La Salle because they’re in Division I; their season is a grind from Day One,” he explained. “They are no days off, as every team provides a grueling test.
“There are no easy games in D-I, but good news is now we have nothing to lose. We earned the state title that we wanted, and we did so because we played really hard.
“I think we surprised Shea,” he continued. “As for La Salle, I know they’re going to play a straight man-to-man defense, and that they’re really going to try to lock down on us. We essentially are going to have to set really good screens, and all the kids are going to have to keep moving without the ball. Hopefully, we can find the open guy.”
The Clippers will carry a 21-5 overall mark into the contest, while the Rams will enter at 13-9. Still, Reedy indicated his foe is better than the record indicates. The reasons: Sophomore swing Aaron Banson- Gray; classmate and guard Manny Roman; and junior guard Daryl Costa, three of many Rams’ standouts.
“Gray’s a really good player, a 6-5 kid who plays more of a wing,” Reedy offered. “I believe he’s their leading scorer, but he’s a very good, quick defender. Roman is a six-foot point guard who’s tough on defense and can slash to the basket, while Costa is probably their quickest player. He had 23 three- pointers this season, so that’s another thing we have to worry about.
“They also have an excellent supporting cast, so we’re going to have to be really sharp on defense,” he added. “I’m sure they’re going to concentrate on the Kolek brothers (6-4 senior swingman Brandon and 6- 1 sophomore guard Tyler), but all we can worry about are ourselves. We’re just going to run our stuff and do what we do.
“We can’t worry about what they’re doing, but what we have to do be successful.”
When asked if his Clippers can snag a win over a D-I playoff team, Reedy answered, “Yes, oh my, yes! There’s a reason we got all the way to the D-II final. As long as keep playing as a team and keep making those sacrifices, we should be OK. We’re going to need contributions from everybody.
“After all, it’s a team game.”