Warwick was buzzing on Tuesday night as the Bishop Hendricken basketball team hosted rival La Salle in its season opener. Despite a strong start for the Hawks, the Rams would take control in the second quarter and run away with the 83-74 win.
The Hawks led 25-21 after the first quarter, but the tide turned in the second as the Rams took advantage of Hendricken penalties – as well as a dominant rebounding effort – to mount a 45-31 halftime lead. The Hawks surged in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to five points with just over a minute left, but the Rams would control the final 60 seconds and walk out with the win.
“We had some retaliation plays where some of our guys got frustrated. That led to technical fouls and direct points for La Salle. They went on a run because of our lack of composure. We knew it would be a crazy game and environment. We knew we had to maintain our discipline and we lost it there. Then, we were basically scratching and clawing the rest of the game,” said Hendricken coach Jamal Gomes. “That game was lost in the second quarter.
Jakob Reyes was stellar on the offensive end for Hendricken, scoring 14 points in the first quarter, 17 in the fourth, and 37 overall. Michael D’Ambra and Will Cary each scored eight in the loss.
Although Reyes helped the Hawks get back into the game in the fourth quarter, Gomes hopes to see a more structured offense moving forward.
“We didn’t share the ball enough with each other. We had some looks and the ball didn’t go down for us, reason being that they were quick shots. We didn’t have the patience we needed. They fought hard but they didn’t do it together. For us to win, we need to do it together. La Salle had five guys in double figures, we had one,” said Gomes.
Gomes also noted the team’s defensive and rebounding woes.
“I’m not happy with our defense, either. We knew it was going to be a battle on the glass and that’s one thing that La Salle does well, they have some big guys. We lost in all phases tonight.”
The Hawks will look to rebound as they prepare for its tough Division I slate.
“We have to regroup. We said that win or lose this isn’t our season, but for us to be able to compete for a state championship we’re going to have to beat a team like La Salle. A team that’s tough, balanced and they can shoot it. We didn’t have that balance tonight,” Gomes said.
There were a handful of notable alumni in attendance for Tuesday’s opener, most notably Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla and current University of Rhode Island standout Sebastian Thomas.
The Hawks will go on to face Portsmouth on Thursday and then take on Archbishop Molloy before going on the holiday break.