By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Less than three minutes had elapsed in the second half of Friday afternoon’s Rochester City Athletic Conference (RCAC) matchup when Al Nash signaled for a timeout.
It didn’t matter that his School of the Arts boys’ basketball team held an 18-point lead, Nash wanted to gather his Silverhawks in a huddle.
Throwing a blind eye to the scoreboard and paying more attention to the play on the court, the fifth-year head coach called for another break in the action two minutes later.
The message was clear: “We can’t forget what got us that lead,” Nash said. “I had to bring them back in.”
Nash’s squad responded.
Ethain Clarke-Desouza posted a double-double and two more players finished in double figures as SOTA downed the Monroe High Red Jackets, 74-52.
The win avenged a 59-57 loss to Red Jackets earlier in the season.
Ethain Clarke-DeSouza rattles in the three to end the first. SOTA 26 @JMHSRedjackets 18 pic.twitter.com/MiUQXDeHp1
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 26, 2021
“We feel that we let one slip away earlier in the season when we played them,” Nash noted. “We’re still trying to find our way as a team.” We’ve been putting it together slowly, accepting our roles and playing hard. Given our size, we’ve got to play hard. It was a good win for us.”
Clarke-Desouza finished with 17 points and a game-high 19 rebounds to go with six assists in the game. Ke’Vion Mitchell added 12 points with seven rebounds and four assists. Reggie Smith paced the offense with 20 points.
Reggie Smith starts the second-half scoring. pic.twitter.com/eiWa133Y41
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 26, 2021
“We’ve been putting it together slowly, accepting our roles and playing hard. Given our size, we’ve got to play hard. It was a good win for us.”
Clinging to a one-point edge late in the first quarter, the Silverhawks used the long ball to close the stanza on an 11-4 run.
Smith connected from behind the 3-point arc. Clarke-Desouza finished in the lane. Mitchell followed with a corner triple, and Clarke-Desouza capped the quarter with a there from the top for a 26-18.
Four minutes into the second, Smith drove the lane for two more and a double-digit lead that the Silverhawks did not surrender.
“The first time we played them, we were up by 11 and people started getting out of synch. We started doing things that we weren’t supposed to and stopped following the scheme for that game. I had to redirect as teachers do to get the kids focused again.”
By halftime, the lead swelled to 45-29, but Nash didn’t want his team to get content.
The win was the fifth straight for SOTA (5-2).
“That’s what it’s all about,” Nash said of his squad’s response to the timeouts. “Teaching them something. Seeing if they can get it. If they slip a little, you bring them back in and reteach. Then you put them back out there to hopefully be successful.”
Clarke-Desouza’s rebound and putback pushed the lead to 20 at 49-29.
Ishnel Gonzales hit three 3-pointers and finished with nine points. Keshaun Chatman had six points. Farhan Abdi and Richie Nadal contributed five points apiece.
Ishnel Gonzales beats the halftime horn to give SOTA a 45-29 lead. Ethain Clarke-Desouza gets the assist on the play. pic.twitter.com/jDzaZZTF8E
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 26, 2021
Monroe’s JaH’meir Speed led all scorers with 23 points. Teammate Amariyon Johnson added 13. Ty’Jayh Cole scored six. Devante Conyers and Felton Gray added four apiece. Tyrece Stewart rounded out the scoring with two points.
JaH’meir Speed pulls up for three before the third-quarter horn, but @JMHSRedjackets trail SOTA 63-42 pic.twitter.com/F7894ltGha
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 26, 2021
Monroe (5-2) had won back-to-back games coming into the contest.
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