Boys basketball
By: Jim Green
Lawrence High School boys basketball coach Pat Tarrant was confident his team would bounce back from its disappointing loss at Brick in the second game of the season.
"We had a tough game against Brick," Tarrant said of his team’s 64-55 loss to Brick on Dec. 22. "But we were in the game the entire way. Brick shot the ball well and was aggressive. Even though we didn’t play our best game, I was pleased we were able to hang in there."
The Cardinals got back on the winning track Monday with a 70-11 victory over Chad Science in the St. Peter’s Holiday Showcase. Senior forward Dave Makai led the way with 10 points, while junior forward Shamil Rodriguez added eight points as the Cardinals moved to 2-1.
"We got a chance to play a lot of different guys and see some guys play," Tarrant said. "I didn’t know much about Chad Science heading in."
Sophomore center Brett Brackett and senior forward John Calvo each netted 16 points in the preceding loss to Brick. While Brackett has been a force offensively in each of the Cardinals’ three games, Tarrant is looking for his big man to look to score even more.
"It’s nice that he (Brackett) is starting the season unselfish and going from there," Tarrant said. "I’m going to encourage him to be more aggressive offensively. There have been some times that he has passed when he should have taken it to the basket. I’d like to see him get more free throws."
Brackett’s game should benefit from the continued development of 6-foot-4 forward Frank Saez. Through two games, Saez was averaging seven points.
"I’m looking for him (Saez) to develop through the year," Tarrant said. "He’s showing signs of that. He’s going to rebound, and he’s going to play defense. If he can score points for us, that will be a big help. His development will be key for us.
"As Brett (Brackett) draws a lot of attention, Frank is going to get some opportunities to score near the basket."
Tarrant expects his entire roster to continue improving as the season progresses.
"It’s a good group," Tarrant said. "As the year goes on, their roles will be more clearly defined. I think our best basketball is about a month down the road."
NOTE: The Cardinals, who backed out of the Hillside Tournament because of scheduling conflicts, added Chad Science and Bridgewater-Raritan to their schedule. Lawrence will play host to Bridgewater at 3 p.m. Saturday.
"Our game Saturday will be very tough," Tarrant said.