By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The McQuaid basketball team may not yet be clicking on all cylinders, but the Jesuit Knights are loosening some gears. If Friday night is any indication of things to come, the rest of Section Five basketball has been put on notice.
Thomas Jones posted a career high and led four in double figures as McQuaid claimed the RCAC Division A title with an easy 91-64 victory over the East High Eagles.
Jones netted 13 of his 25 in the first quarter as McQuaid sprinted to a double-digit lead and never looked back.
“We played our game tonight, moved the ball around and got open shots, the junior guard said. “We stepped up and hit those shots.”
In his fourth game back from injury along with teammate Isaiah Stewart, Jones and his teammates found their rhythm on the court.
Thomas Jones goes Euro. @MJSNetwork15 pic.twitter.com/zODuvdReoP
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 11, 2017
“Their main focus was Isaiah,” Jones explained of his 6-foot-8 teammate. “They clogged the paint, and that would leave the opposite wide open for me to create something.”
He set the tone early pouring in eight straight of the Knights points. The 6-foot-4 guard finished a run out on a lead from Stewart, then drove baseline, grabbed his own miss and converted for another deuce. He used a Euro step in transition for another bucket and scored off an inbound play for a 10-8 edge.
Jones nailed a catch-and shoot 3-pointer from the right corner for a 21-10 McQuaid advantage late in the first quarter. East did not cut the margin to single digits for the remainder of the contest.
“I had a rough couple of games at first,” Jones stated. “I just told myself I was going to keep fighting through it and finally had a break through.”
Without Jones and Stewart in the lineup, McQuaid needed Anthony Iglesia‘s last-second heroics last month to secure the win. Last season, East edged McQuaid in the sectionals with Jones and Stewart in the lineup.
This time McQuaid blew open the game with eight straight to start the second stanza. The Knights extended the lead to 20 four minutes before halftime. The lead eventually swelled to 30 late the third quarter.
“I didn’t expect us to get that kind of separation, but I felt like we defended very soundly,” coach Jack Leasure said. “If you really load up with Isaiah and we stay unselfish, share the ball, and guys play with confidence we become a hard team to guard. That’s the key, that we continue to play with confidence and share it and be a unit.”
Iglesia scored three of his 13 points and handed out three of his game-high seven assists in the second quarter.
Anthony Iglesia finds Thomas Jones behind the defense for the bucket. @MJSNetwork15 pic.twitter.com/MCkKZoXRjI
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 11, 2017
“It was easy for me to rely on my teammates because I know if I find them with the ball, they would step up in their role,” the junior guard said. “Those two guys coming back helps us a lot.”
After a pair of assists late in the first quarter where he found Jones and Stewart behind the defense, Iglesia led freshman Kobe Long on a run out early in the second. He nailed a three from the top of the key and fed Stewart on an inbound play for an easy deuce. The 5-foot-6 guard followed that with a pass to Kevin Broderick on the break for a pull-up three and a 36-15 McQuaid advantage.
“They get good position,” Iglesia said of his teammates. “Finding the easy way to get open. It makes my life easier. If I throw them the ball I know they’re going to catch it.
“On the defensive end we got touch up on some spots, but as for now I think we did a pretty good job.”
Anthony Iglesia finds @Dreamville_33 underneath for two. @MJSNetwork15 pic.twitter.com/hP7TUgvjZl
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 11, 2017
East’s 2-2-1 three-quarter court press and half-court zone defense, which usually harasses opponents and creates a high volume of turnovers, was rendered ineffective against McQuaid.
Jones hit a trey late in the third for a 77-47 Knights lead.
“We didn’t give up a lot of easy open shots,” Leasure explained. “I felt like we made it tough on those guys getting in the paint for the most part. We were a little poor on ball screens for stretches, but I felt like we defended pretty soundly. We shared the ball on the other end.”
With Georgetown University assistant coach Kevin Broadus in attendance to watch him, Stewart registered a double-double scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
Long scored 12 points.
Windell Lucas and Zion Morrison paced East with 21 points apiece. Kni Jear Sapp added 14 points.
Both teams played without significant contributors. Senior starter Javar Collier was not in the lineup for East. McQuaid’s Conor Dalton and Cam Wilson were also on the sideline. Dalton broke his thumb against Franklin (February 3rd) and will not return this season. In the previous meeting between the two rivals, it was Dalton who hit three free throws to knot the game. He followed that with a tie up on an inbound play to force a change of possession and set up the game winner from Iglesia. Wilson will return next when McQuaid closes its season at Aquinas next Thursday.
Both Jones and Stewart were injured prior to the season and did not return to the lineup until February 1st when McQuaid beat Monroe.
McQuaid won its seventh straight game, improved to 13-5 on the season and closed RCAC play at 12-2. The Knights play at Bishop Kearney next Tuesday.
East, ranked No. 12 NYS Class A, fell to 13-6 and 10-3 in league play. The Eagles host Edison Tech to end their regular season.
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