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SRA boys' hoopsters down Smithfield, await SK in playoff opener |
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Tuesday, 26 February 2008 |
By BRENDAN McGAIR
Sports writer
PAWTUCKET – After employing a Little League strategy of playing everyone and anyone for much of the contest, St. Raphael rode its top horse with the game – and potentially a home date in the opening round – on the line.
It was only fitting that on “Senior Night” that Jeff Holmes carried the Saints. The senior delivered perhaps the biggest shot of his high school career, a 3-pointer as time expired to send Monday’s regular-season finale against Smithfield High into overtime.
Holmes’ heads-up trey provided SRA a new lease on life, one the home team did not relinquish in a 77-71 win over Smithfield. Coming off the bench for the first time this season, Holmes finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds despite sitting out large portions of the first and second halves.
The Saints, which came in on the bubble in terms of playing host in the Division 1 preliminary round, found out soon after they won’t have to make travel plans until (hopefully) later this week. SRA clinched the No. 8 seed and will draw South Kingstown High tomorrow night at Alumni Hall.
The Saints (9-9 D-I) and Rebels met on Feb. 8 with SRA positing a 69-56 win on SK’s home floor.
Satisfied with the draw, SRA head coach Tom Sorrentine was also pleased with the performances several of the less-heralded Saints delivered. Yendelby Santos, who has been slowed by knee injuries each of the past few seasons, came up with two clutch hoops in the second half. Seldom-used senior Tesfa Scott was inserted in the starting lineup and played 10 solid minutes.
“All the guys that went in there played hard and did different things,” said Sorrentine, who used 15 players and a handful of lineup combinations. “We wanted to play everybody a certain amount each half.”
Both Holmes and Doug Hopper (six assists) found themselves on the bench at the game’s onset, both giving their usual starting spots to Scott and Angelo Santos (seven points).
By the time Hopper and Holmes checked in at 8:08 of the first half, Smithfield was up 18-11. The Sentinels, which missed the playoffs for the first time in 20 seasons, were led by 19 points by Joseph Lancia and 17 from Justin Montella.
Smithfield enjoyed a 30-28 lead at the break before bolting out to six straight points to begin the second half. The Sentinels went up by eight (44-46) with under 10 minutes to play, but the Saints stormed back, grabbing their first lead (45-44) on a Holmes baseline jumper at 7:07.
Now Smithfield was the one doing the chasing. Down 53-48 with potentially five minutes left in the season, the Sentinels had enough to muster one more surge. The visitors crawled to within a point on two occasions with Lancia presented a few golden opportunities to reclaim the lead, but to no avail.
On the fourth try, Lancia delivered, burying a trey from the top of the key to give Smithfield a 61-60 lead with 39.6 ticks left.
Holmes left a shot short and the Saints had no choice but to foul with 21 seconds left. Smithfield’s Matt Alcuskey missed a 1-and-1, but SRA failed to seize the rebound. The ball kicked out to Aaron Brown, who calmly made two free throws to give Smithfield a three-point cushion.
Sorrentine said, with his club trailing with 16.2 seconds left, he wanted to have the ball in two of SRA’s top 3-point shooters in Justin Maneca and Jimmy McKnight. McKnight ended up front-rimming his attempt.
Holmes pounced all over the free ball, then in fell swoop, retreated beyond the arc to deliver a clutch sequence with not much in terms of time to spare.
“That’s a big-time play right there,” said Sorrentine. “He’s the guy that we need to carry us.”
The final frantic sequence of regulation perhaps sums up what was a tough season to endure for Smithfield, who suffered more than its fair-share heartbreaking setbacks as part of a 4-14 finish.
“I’m disappointed with the whole sequence; I don’t think [Holmes] should be able to dribble out and heave a shot uncontested, but all credit goes to him” said Smithfield head coach Joe Bennett. “It’s on me as a head coach to win close games, but we found all kinds of new and inventive ways to lose games.”
SRA seized control early in the extra session. Holmes scored the first three points and Mike Holland converted a trey to pull ahead 69-64 lead just inside two minutes.
Lancia hit a running three to shrink the deficit to 75-70 with 21.7 seconds left, but Hopper iced the game with two free throws.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 29 February 2008 )
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