The La Salle Rams took down the Bishop Hendricken Hawks to win the Division I championship last season, but the Hawks had the last laugh when the teams rematched in the state championship. Hendricken captured its fourth state championship in a row, and 21st overall.. Fast forward a year, and both teams still sit near the top of the DI standings.
Entering Monday’s matchup, the Hawks and Rams shared a 7-1 record, tied for third in the division. Both teams suffered their lone loss against a fellow undefeated team. Hendricken was handed a 21-point loss courtesy of Classical, their worst loss of the season. For La Salle, it was the second-place Barrington Eagles led by reigning Gatorade Player of the Year, Matt Raffa. The Rams lost a thriller in overtime to tarnish their previously perfect record.
This season the Hawks have been no stranger to close affairs. They have taken plenty of games down to the wire but have always seemed to squeak out the win. With Hendricken graduating their entire starting lineup from the previous season, the Rams entered the season with a more experienced group.
On a brisk Monday night, the Hawks faced off in the Rams’ den at a packed and boisterous McLaughlin Athletic Center. No championship was on the line for this one, but a chance for separation at the top of the Division I standings fueled both teams. La Salle won a hotly contested rematch over Hendricken, 61-51.
Liam Simpson led the Rams in scoring and on the glass. He scored 15 points and created many second-chance scoring opportunities for his teammates. For Hendricken, James Caldarella led the way with 22 points in defeat.
Simpson talked about their rebounding efforts post-game, “It helped a lot on second chance opportunities to get the rebounds which allowed us to stay in the game. I feel like we played well, were dominant in the paint, and hit big-time shots when they counted.”
La Salle got going right from winning the opening tip-off. The Rams offense went on an 8-0 run to open the game, forcing Hendricken to use a timeout early in the first quarter.
The Hawks regrouped following their slow start, they finished the quarter in front of the Rams, 23-18. Caldarella led the first quarter in scoring, contributing eight points to the Hendricken lead.
Will Mascena and Caldarella started the second quarter with back-to-back makes from three-point range for Hendricken. Assured by some turnover trouble, the Hawks had an 11-point lead as the Rams used their first timeout in the game.
Halfway through the second quarter, the Hawks’ lead had been diminished down to just three points following Michael Poteau drilling a second chance three-pointer. La Salle was earning many second chances thanks to their offensive rebounding.
The Rams had plenty of opportunities at the charity stripe but struggled to convert them in the first half. As a result of this, the Hawks entered halftime still clinging to a 35-31 lead.
In the third quarter, La Salle found itself in foul trouble. Through multiple non-shooting fouls, Hendricken made its way quickly into the bonus. The Hawks converted seven free throws, two of those coming thanks to a technical foul assessed against the Rams.
Thomas Malloy tied things up for La Salle on a huge three-pointer with under two minutes to go. Jacob Marcone earned his first points of the game as he added another from deep, giving the Rams their first lead since the opening minutes as they entered the final quarter.
The Rams led 46-44 as the fourth quarter kicked off, and quickly Caldarella evened the score. Malloy drilled another big three-pointer in the final quarter, sending the La Salle student section into a frenzy.
La Salle managed to build up a 10-point cushion to their lead by the time the final buzzer sounded. The Rams enacted their revenge on the Hawks, winning 61-51.
Since being promoted to head coach after the 2019 season, Michael McParlin has been at the helm of some terrific teams and has yet to miss the playoffs. “I have a great group of players who make it fun to show up to practice and games every day. The relationships I am able to build with my players and the relationships that they build with each other are the reason why I coach.”
La Salle was propelled to victory by their great rebounding all night long. The Rams left a lot to be desired at the charity stripe in their victory. This included the leading scorer, Simpson, who struggled at the line early. He detailed the adjustments that helped him convert an important pair of free throws late, “I realized that even if I’m tired, all I needed to do is breathe and relax.”
He followed up by describing the importance of this rivalry matchup, “It was good to play them again after our loss in the state championship because we were ready to show them how we have grown.”
Coach McParlin also reflected on his mindset heading into the highly anticipated rematch, “Each game we are just trying to get better and improve as a team. Last night was an opportunity for us to play against a great opponent in a great environment and compete. It was a great High School basketball game and it is good for Rhode Island basketball.”
With this win, the Rams now stand alone in third place in the Division I standings. Falling to fourth, the Hawks will look to regroup against Central on Wednesday evening before taking on the second-place Barrington squad this Friday.