MAPLEWOOD, NJ – The St. Joseph’s CYO basketball teams enjoyed strong play in regular season and playoff action.
The boys blue Meola team beat St. Michael’s, 35-12, at home Saturday. John Pirone led with 14 points, 4 of which came from the foul line. Liam Haley had 6, Henry Aaron and Justin DeVomecourt each had 4, Lukas Alexander had 3 and Declan Cavanaugh and Cian O’Connor each had a bucket. Pirone grabbed 13 rebounds, Haley 9 and O’Connor 7. Aaron Budd played scrappy defense throughout the game and caused multiple turnovers. Conor Cavanaugh grabbed 5 rebounds. During the third quarter, Henry Aaron broke through two tough defenders and made a beautiful pass to Cavanaugh, who swooshed a 5-footer. Henry Aaron made a baseball inbounds pass to DeVomecourt, who quickly pivoted and nailed a jumper. In the fourth quarter, Alexander stole the ball and drove the lane for a perfectly executed layup.
The Sixth Grade boys white team lost its playoff game at home Saturday to Holy Trinity, 39-37. Coach Meyer’s squad held the lead for most of the game, giving way late in the fourth quarter to Holy Trinity’s frantic press and several quick baskets. Charlie Giannone finished with 6 points and 7 rebounds. Callan Bauer led the scoring with 12, hitting a pair of threes and scoring 10 in the third period. Jerimiah Cook scored 10 and added 7 rebounds, while Sebastian Pappas had his best game, adding 5 points, including a halftime buzzer-beater from midcourt. Point guard Malachy Meyer led the team with 5 assists and scored 4 points. Chibuikem Onyemaechi snagged 5 rebounds and recorded 2 steals.
The Pee Wee White team won, 15-11, Sunday in a gritty, hard-fought game against Holy Trinity. Team defense and rebounding were the keys to the game. Harry Laskowski, Ryan Leibensperger, Robert Santoro, Aidan Williams, and Will Kostka played excellent perimeter defense, while Dara Corr, Will Iozio, Riley Walsman and Andrew Randazza controlled the boards.
The JV Fifth Grade girls team won 28-9 over Koinonia in a playoff game Sunday. Summer Lonning and Emile Clitus led the way in scoring. Amelia Lisco, Hannah Straub, Peyton Hollis, Talia Baptiste, Paloma Duvergne and Catherine Holt all scored or recorded an assist. Defensively, all eight players contributed.
The Fourth Grade boys team finished its regular season with a 33-8 win over St. Bart’s from Scotch Plains. Kieran Dawkins tallied 16 points to lead the way, while Thomas Campbell and Will Kostka contributed 4 apiece and Flynn Larson added 3. The Celtics scored on three consecutive fourth-quarter possessions, with Dawkins finding Will Walsh, Alex Szczepanski and Riley Donohue each for baskets. The Celtics finished the regular season with a 10-2 record and earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
The Sixth Grade boys green team defeated St. Michael’s of Union, 36-17, in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. The Celtics used their full-court pressure to rattle the opponent early, building an 18-point halftime lead that was never threatened. Seven Celtics players scored in the contest, led by Mike Pirone with 10 and Brendan Dawkins and Max Larson with 6 points each. Guards Patrick Campbell, Liam Laskowski and William Walsman each had 4 points and Danny Guarnieri’s hard work on the backboard turned into a basket in the second quarter. Nicholas Franklin added 3 steals and Owen Holt had 3 rebounds and a steal. Nicholas Alexander played excellent defense and had 5 rebounds.
The Rounsavill Third Grade boys team lost in the first round of the playoffs to St. Helens, 27-22. The team started out slow, falling behind, 9-1, but got back into the game with a strong second half, led by Eric DeVomecourt’s 8 points and 6 rebounds. Ryan Fay added 7 points, Evan Straub contributed 4 and played strong defense, and Josh Pieroni added 3 points and 4 rebounds. Contributing great defense, rebounds and hustle were Luke Witt, Derek Rounsavill, Nathanial Wack, Darragh O’Connor, Aidan Heindl, Emmanuel Canuto and Theo Pappas.
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