Sports
Hackley Boys Basketball Falls to Xavier in MLK Tourney
Xavier dominated throughout and will play Albertus Magnus in the Martin Luther King Holiday Tournament title game 4 p.m. today.
The Xavier High School boys had no trouble taking down Hackley, 77-33, Sunday aftenoon at the Martin Luther King Holiday Basketball Tournament hosted by Albertus Magnus High School.
Three Knights hit double figures in scoring in the victory.
“Just to play hard,” said Xavier head coach Joe McGrane about his team’s game plan. “Defensively, we really wanted to play hard and set the tempo of the game and speed it up.”
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Xavier was able to successfully execute that game plan early, building a 23-6 lead after one quarter of play. Guard Tito Ovalle spearheaded an aggressive defense that swarmed the ball on pick-n-rolls and played the passing lanes while trying to force turnovers, keeping the pressure on Hackley's guards.
“Defensively we started man-to-man,” McGrane said. “We wanted to set the tempo of the game. We really want to defend hard, play hard to start, and let our defense create our offense.”
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That offense was lead in the first quarter by senior Brendan Ferguson, who knocked down 3-point jumpers and long-range field goals after running through screens set by his teammates. Ferguson ended up with 17 points.
“Brendan Fergusson, who was the shooter in the beginning with the four of five 3’s. it’s important for him to get going,” McGrane said. “Once he got going it kind of opens things up in the lane.”
Hackley went to a zone defense, but Xavier was able to exploit it by using their big men at the high post to pass to baseline cutters, resulting in efficient shots. Junior forward Matt Crocket also finished with 17 points for Xavier. Senior guard Ahrman Burke finished with 13, including a few explosive fast-break finishes at the rim, while junior guard Miguel Rodriguez contributed eight points.
Sophomore guard Daniel Chung led Hackley with eight points. Junior forward Max Parauda finished with six points for the Hornets, while sophomore guard Charlie Padoriano netted five points.
Xavier, a Jesuit High School from New York City, is now 8-4 on the season.
Xavier will play host Albertus Magnus 4 p.m. on Monday for the Tournament Championship. Hackley is set to take on Clarkstown South in the 2 p.m. consolation game.
