By JOE PALLADINO
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Well, that was fun. The Sacred Heart boys basketball team might feel the same way down the road, when these lessons, if applied, get the Hearts back to the place they want to be.
Sacred Heart got a taste of elite basketball Saturday as Gonzaga College High School of Washington, D.C., thumped the Waterbury visitors, 86-51, at the Hoophall Classic at Springfield College’s Blake Arena.
The best of the best came to the Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend. The Hearts were the lucky ones. They drew Gonzaga, ranked No. 8 in the nation in the most recent USA Today hoop poll.
What must the seven teams above the Purple Eagles (131) be like?
Terrence Williams, a 6foot-7 sophomore who only last night received a scholarship offer from Georgetown, dominated with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Myles Dread, who will play at Penn State in the fall, added 25 points and six boards.
Top to bottom, the depth chart for Gonzaga was, like, wow.
“When you face a team of that caliber, you try to stem the tide as much as you can,” said Hearts coach Jon Carroll.
Sacred Heart falls to Gonzaga of DC in Springfield
Let’s put it this way: The tide rushed in. Gonzaga led, 41-18, at the half. The Hearts, typically, are on the other end of that kind of score.
“It makes for a humbling bus ride back to Waterbury,” joked Carroll. “It’s a lesson for our kids. We want to emulate that. That’s what we want to get to. This was fun. Last weekend at Long Island (a defeat to Long Island Lutheran High) was fun. Now we get into what is the business portion of our schedule. The lessons that we take from these, we need to carry with us the rest of the way.”
The Hearts (5-2) did show well. The third quarter was basically a draw, so there was that, but Raheem Solomon also put up a sensational 25 points. If recruiters were wary about knee issues, forget that. Solomon is healthy and looking ready for the next level.
“Hoophall does raise your stock,” said Solomon, who has drawn interest from Niagara and Tulane, “especially if you go out there and play your game, play hard. That’s what the college coaches are looking for.”
Isiah Gaiter added 13 and Connor Tierney seven points and five rebounds.
Yes, the bus ride was long. Good teams make long bus rides, lots of them. Are the Hearts good enough to again make that long trip in March to Mohegan Sun Arena to play for a fifth straight state championship? If they do, they might well think back to Saturday as the day the journey began.
The out-of-state trips are over. It is time to get back to business.
GONZAGA COLLEGE 86, SACRED HEART 51
Gonzaga (13-1): Anwar Gill 0 0 0, Terrance Williams 10 4 26, Carlos Hubb 1 0 3, Will Turgeon 1 0 3, Josh Watts 3 0 7, Allin Blunt 3 0 6, Myles Stute 3 2 8, Chuck Harris 4 0 8, Myles Dread 9 2 25, Josiah Hardy 0 0 0. Totals: 34 8 86.
Sacred Heart (5-2): Raheem Solomon 9 2 25, Isiah Gaiter 5 1 13, Andre Anderson 0 0 0, Caleb Sampson 0 0 0, Connor Tierney 3 1 7, Noah Francisco 0 0 0, Fran Barton 2 0 4, Mike Napolitano 0 0 0, Garrett Jones 0 0 0, Nick Williams 1 0 2, Zach Francisco 0 0 0, Vin Diogostine 0 0 0. Totals: 20 4 51.
Gonzaga 20 21 23 22 — 86
Sacred Heart 11 7 22 11 — 51
3-point field goals: G — Willians 2, Hubb 1, Turgeon 1, Watts 1, M. Dread 5. SH — Solomon 5, Gaiter 2.
