Boys’ Basketball: 3rd-quarter barrage propels Marian past Lourdes
Lourdes' Trebor Moore (22) looks to pass around Marian's Bryan Ferreira during Monday's Schuylkill League Division II boys' basketball game in Hometown (Photo by James Gelatko).
HOMETOWN — The Marian boys’ basketball team finally struck some gold Monday night in a Schuylkill League Division II clash with Lourdes.
Using a flurry of scoring in a roaring third-quarter output, the Colts knocked the pins from beneath the Red Raiders en route to a 72-49 victory at the Jack Malarkey Gymnasium.
Leading by six at intermission, Marian outscored Lourdes 29-11 in the third quarter to take control.
“It’s our best game of the season,” Marian coach Scott Murphy said.
The bright lights shined heavily on Marian sophomore Rocco Griguoli. The 6-foot-4 center reeled in a career-high 18 rebounds while slipping in nine points.
Griguoli’s play allowed Marian to outrebound Lourdes 45-30.
“It’s all about working hard (in practice),” Griguoli said. “Yes, at times it was physical, but I like it that way. I enjoy getting those rebounds so I can get it to my guys (for shots). I was able to get into good position to get those misses.”
Balance was the key to the outcome as Marian (3-3, 2-2 D-II) had three players hit for twins. The Colts were by the De La Cruz brothers, Justin with 17 and Jacob 14, while Bryan Ferreira added 11.
“I don’t remember the last time a Marian (boys) basketball team started five underclassmen,” Murphy said with a question. “We are young. We’ve got a number of those underclassmen who are going to be with us (for) a few years.”
In other words, there is a bright side and for the Colts.
Marian set the tempo in the first eight minutes, scoring the first eight points of the game to build a 15-3 lead. Justin De La Cruz’s hit a trio of 3-pointers in the outburst.
“Sometimes we take all those shots and it’s an up-and-down tempo, which can be a good thing,” Murphy said. “And that gets crazy for (assistant) coach (Paul) Brutto, who wants us to play the other end (on defense), but the game is so (fast paced) with possessions).”
Try putting the brakes on the De La Cruz brothers and you asking for a train wreck. These kids love the fastbreak and shooting the triple is their forte.
It showed huge in the third quarter as Jacob De La Cruz flipped the switch to help Marian take total control. The Colts led 26-20 at the intermission, then let loose with a roundhouse of a rally over the first eight minutes of the second half.
“When J.D. gets hot, he is a tough player,” Murphy said about Jacob De La Cruz, a 5-11 junior.
Jacob De La Cruz was boiling hot with 12 points in the third quarter as Marian shot 12-for-22 in the frame. Vaniel Nunez, another underclassman and underrated guard, poured in nine in the period and Justin De La Cruz had five. It also helped as Griguoli snagged four offensive rebounds in the quarter.
The third-quarter outburst was needed after Lourdes (1-5, 0-4) used a big second quarter to inch within striking distance at 21-18 with 1:03 left in the opening half. Brighton Scicchitano, who had a team-high 14 points, teamed with Billy Rishell to spark the Red Raiders.
The third-quarter shelling allowed Marian to coast to the finish line, Lourdes had lost footing by that time and never able to mount a serious threat.
