CJ’s effort no match for LaSalle’s shooting

Lancers sink 14 of 18 from 3-point range  in 63-45 GCL victory.

High school sports results for May 26
5/26/12
Wayne boys win team track title
5/25/12
Bellbrook tennis duo advances to semifinals
5/25/12
Jefferson grad takes lessons from Miami Heat cousin
5/25/12
T-Bolts excited for state debut
5/25/12
> More high school headlines

By John Cummings, Contributing Writer 11:39 PM Tuesday, January 24, 2012

As he watched the junior varsity game from the hallway, Chaminade Julienne boys basketball coach Joe Staley talked about how big of a test his squad faced Tuesday night against LaSalle.

It didn’t help that the third-ranked Division I team in the state decided to have a near-perfect night from 3-point range.

The Lancers hit 14 of 18 shots from long range in a 63-45 win over the Eagles.

“When a team shoots like that, there is not a lot you can do,” Staley said after the Eagles fell to 9-5 overall and 5-3 in the Greater Catholic League. “I was pleased with our effort. I thought we fought and scrapped the whole game — we competed with them.”

LaSalle opened thee night with two quick 3-pointers (five total in the first quarter), but the Eagles answered with a 3 by Austin Piatt and a basket by Justin Bibbs to cut the deficit to 6-5 with 3:48 left.

That was as close as CJ would get.

LaSalle closed the first quarter with a 9-2 run and began the second with a 5-0 run to push the lead to 20-7. The Eagles got as close as 20-11 on back-to-back baskets by John Staley with 5:30 left in the half, but the Lancers used their full-court pressure to push the lead to 30-15 at the break behind eight turnovers.

“We have played Thurgood Marshall and Dunbar and no one puts pressure on the ball like LaSalle,” Staley said. “They are the hardest-playing team on our schedule and I think, tonight, we showed a lot of progress against the pressure.”

The Eagles trailed 49-27 heading into the final quarter but were able to chip the final margin to 18 behind seven of Staley’s 17 points and six points from Bibbs.

Bibbs, who handled the LaSalle press without a turnover bringing the ball up the floor, finished with 16 points.

The Eagles shot well, hitting 16 of 22 shots while out-rebounding LaSalle 14-7.

“There were a lot of things there (in the game) that we are happy about,” Staley said. “We tried; we battled them the whole night.”

Share this article