Pats fall to Rams in first round of state tournament

Joe Russo
Posted 3/10/15

The No. 15 seed Pilgrim boys’ basketball team were overwhelmed by the No. 2 seed La Salle Academy Rams on Friday night at Rhode Island College in the RIIL open tournament, 64-35, in what was the …

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Pats fall to Rams in first round of state tournament

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The No. 15 seed Pilgrim boys’ basketball team were overwhelmed by the No. 2 seed La Salle Academy Rams on Friday night at Rhode Island College in the RIIL open tournament, 64-35, in what was the only game in the tournament that featured two division champions. The Division III Patriots won the school’s first ever boys’ basketball championship the previous week over Johnston, while the Division I Rams won their second-straight championship over North Kingstown.

Pilgrim struggled shooting from the field, scoring only two points in the first nine minutes and 40 seconds of the first half, falling behind, 13-2, to a determined Rams squad.

“La Salle was definitely on a mission and, unfortunately for us, we got in their way tonight,” said Pilgrim head coach Mike Batalon. “We were playing for the first time in the open tournament against one of the best teams in the state and it is natural to be a little nervous. La Salle makes you play a little bit faster than you want to and it was one of those days where the shots just did not drop for us.”

The Rams were led by the shooting of Mike McCourt, who accounted for 10 of those 13 points. He would be the game’s high-scorer with 21 points.

“We had no answer for McCourt tonight, he was on fire,” Batalon said.

“McCourt is a tough kid and all-around player,” said La Salle head coach Eric Simonelli. “He did a great job defensively and on the glass, not just on the offensive stat sheet – he is a gamer. The great thing about our team is that it is a different guy every night that steps up, it’s team defense with all five guys on the same page.”

Tyrone Weeks, one of the Patriots’ key players this season, was hampered by early foul trouble after getting off to a good start defensively with three blocked shots. He committed his third foul at the 7:40 mark and would have to sit out the remainder of the first half.

“We were hoping Tyrone would have a good game tonight, he has had a great season for us,” Batalon said. “He got off to a good start, but got into foul trouble and had to be taken out of the game.”

The Patriots, who trailed the entire game, found themselves down at the half, 27-14. Deven Lavallee netted eight of Pilgrim’s 14 first-half points and Zach Drake’s bucket with time running out in the half gave them a glimmer of hope heading into the break.

Ethan Schneider’s 3 got the Patriots off to a good start as the second half opened and Weeks would score down low, but McCourt’s 3-pointer and Lawrence Sabir’s steal and lay-in gave La Salle its biggest lead of the game, 42-23, which it would continue to build on. The Rams had 11 players to enter the scoring column in this game.

Weeks was fouled hard driving to the basket at the 9:11 mark of the second half. He remained down for a few minutes and would leave the game with an injured back. He scored only four points in the game and would not return. Batalon spoke about his freshman sensation stating, “Tyrone came in head and shoulders above most freshmen and he is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come.”

Simonelli liked his team’s effort, but said they are not taking any team for granted in this tournament.

“If we play like this, we believe we can beat any one in the state,” Simonelli said. “There are a lot of good teams out there and we have to progress as a team. Tonight was a great defensive effort, but we have some challenges ahead of us and we just have to take it one step at a time and one game at a time. We did not take Pilgrim lightly, nor are we going to take any team lightly. We are determined and playing with that relentless attitude and we are going to lay it on the line and see what happens.”

Despite the opening round loss, the Patriots have had a season to remember. They won the first boys’ basketball championship in the school’s 52-year history and no one can take that away from them.

“I’m proud of my team,” Batalon said. “They are a bunch of great kids who have worked hard all year. They made history this year and that is something they will remember for the rest of their lives and we are primed to have a great season next year.”

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