By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
WEBSTER, N.Y. — McQuaid boys basketball coach Jack Leasure wasn’t pleased with last Saturday’s loss to Fairport, and not just because his team fell out of the state rankings.
“I think that we played with very poor effort last game, which is disappointing because you can control that,” Leasure commented. “So we’ve been focusing the last few days on making sure that’s a constant.”
The Knights received the message on Tuesday, as did their opponent, Webster Schroeder. The host Warriors (7-10) challenged McQuaid in a contest that featured five ties and 12 lead changes, all in the first half. The last of those lead changes was enough for the Knights (12-4), who went on an 8-0 run to end the half and eventually completed a 68-58 victory.
McQuaid junior Kobe Long led all scorers with 29 points, including five three-pointers and a 10-for-10 performance at the free throw line. The performance marked his fifth game of the year with 25 or more points and increased his team-leading scoring average to 23 points per game.
“Kobe did a pretty good job,” Leasure assessed. “He did a better job today of taking shots out of the offense, working harder to get better shots. He played well on the offensive end and I thought at times did a pretty good job staying in front of people and guarding as well. I think when he guards well it makes offense easy for him.
“I think that’s the same for our team: when we guard well, offense becomes much easier.”
Long scored nine of McQuaid’s last 13 points, making six free throws and a three in that span. He and classmate Jermaine Taggart combined for 47 points, matching Schroeder’s dynamic duo of Luke Insley and JoJo Plummer, who posted 26 and 21, respectively. Connor Zamiara’s 10-point contribution was one of the differences in the Knights’ ability to fend off a less balanced Schroeder squad.
Insley drilled five three-pointers while Plummer compiled nine two-point field goals. In the first half, that contributed to an early 11-5 lead and four leads in the second quarter. But after the Warriors took a 27-25 lead near the end of that period, the Knights went on an 11-2 run in which Long made two three-pointers and a layup. The Warriors, who had led a few minutes before, suddenly trailed by eight going into the locker room.
Taggart continued the momentum with two quick buckets after the break and the McQuaid defense finally started a quarter strong, allowing just two foul shots in the first four minutes of the third while extending its advantage to 43-29. Insley and Plummer scored all but two Warriors points for the remainder of the game, with Plummer pouring in 15 of their last 23, but were unable to trim Schroeder’s deficit to fewer than six.
“I think we did a pretty good job at times of playing smart and trying to put that game out of reach,” Leasure said. “At times we gambled on defense and we took shots that we maybe should’ve held on to. But it’s a learning process and the most important thing to me is when the effort’s there. You feel good about it.”
Other scorers: McQuaid- Harry Bruu (4), Rueben Daniel (3), Seamus Hogan (2), Michael Maloney (2)
Webster Schroeder- Josh Hauman (6), Colin Merkey (5)
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