SAN MATEO, Calif. — One might expect, given that Archbishop Mitty has a 7-footer in its starting lineup, that the Monarchs’ offense is built around pounding the ball inside and scoring in the paint.
And while Nicholas Gklaros Stavropoulos certainly plays a major role, his job involves setting up open looks outside for his teammates as much as finding scoring opportunities for himself. He scored just four points, but his presence helped Mitty knock down seven first-half 3-pointers Saturday to help open up a double-digit lead at Serra, and the Monarchs held on for a 57-45 win over the Padres at Morton Family Gymnasium.
“We did a really good job getting paint touches and sharing it,” Mitty head coach Tim Kennedy said. “The guys were shooting the right shots and they really trusted each other, so when we’re rolling like that and we’re taking the right ones, we’re pretty connected. The ball seems to go in when we’re taking the right ones.”
The Monarchs (13-6, 7-2 West Catholic Athletic League) did not take long to get rolling from deep. Two 3-pointers in the first three minutes by Brady Clugage forced Serra (11-8, 3-6) to take an early timeout. Sixth man Isaac Turner also connected from behind the arc in the first quarter, and he knocked down another in the second, scoring 10 of his 11 points in the first half.
Joseph Seifu followed Turner’s second 3-pointer with one of his own, leading Padres head coach Chuck Rapp to spend another timeout. Seifu would hit another 3 before halftime, and he finished with eight points and nine rebounds. Mitty held Serra to just six points in the second quarter and led 33-19 at halftime.
“Our superpower is swinging the ball, getting open shots, extra (passes), being unselfish,” Seifu said. “It’s like a family.”
The game turned much more physical in the second half, with numerous whistles interrupting both teams’ rhythm. Free throws helped the Padres hang around, and they pulled within seven as Wyatt Von Blanco, who started the game hot, helped key an 11-2 Serra run. But Clugage and Daniel Ryan iced the game at the free throw line for the Monarchs, who won their fourth straight and completed a regular-season sweep of the Padres.
Von Blanco led all scorers with 19 points and Jace Cannon added 13 for Serra.
“We just can’t shoot well,” Rapp said. “We’ve just been in a shooting slump for forever. It’s weird because this is a good shooting team, but we’re having trouble putting the biscuit in the basket.”
Clugage led a balanced Mitty offensive attack with 16 points, and Seifu, Ryan and point guard Amani LaMere-Swift each had eight. The Monarchs, after their seven first-half 3-pointers, had none in the second half, but LaMere-Swift’s downhill drives helped generate baskets and foul calls. Mitty was 12-for-15 at the foul line, with Clugage going 7-for-8 at the stripe.
The Monarchs host San Jose rival Bellarmine on Tuesday night, while Serra is scheduled to host first-place Archbishop Riordan.
“This was a big week for us, having three games and being able to get all three wins,” Kennedy said. “We still have huge games, five games, and each one is going to present its own problems and challenges.”
SI bounces back with wins over Serra, Valley Christian
St. Ignatius suffered its first WCAL loss in heart-wrenching fashion Tuesday night as Riordan star Andrew Hilman buried the Wildcats with a buzzer-beating jumper. But SI responded by pounding Serra 72-41 on its home floor in the Beach Game two nights later, then made the trek down to south San Jose and earned a 65-47 win at Valley Christian on Saturday.
The Wildcats (17-2, 8-1 WCAL) were without point guard Raymond Whitley due to an illness against the Warriors (10-9, 2-7), and star sophomore forward left with a knee injury in the first quarter and did not return. SI won comfortably anyway as MIT commit Steele Labagh scored 22 points and Andrew Ennis was also in double figures before halftime.
SI visits rival Sacred Heart Cathedral on Tuesday night, while Valley Christian heads to Saint Francis. The Lancers earned their first WCAL victory Saturday, beating the Fightin’ Irish 53-50 behind 23 points and eight rebounds from sophomore Weston Edwards.
Riordan on pause due to tuberculosis in school
The league-leading Crusaders have not played since Tuesday’s dramatic win over SI due to an outbreak of tuberculosis at the school. While just three people in the Riordan community had active cases of the disease, more than 50 tested positive for latent tuberculosis, the non-symptomatic, non-contagious form. Latent TB can turn into active TB at any time.
