Lawrence boys basketball
By: Jim Green
Whether he’s on the basketball court or the football field, Lawrence High School junior Brett Brackett’s role is the same: quarterback.
The tremendous all-around athlete, who serves as the football team’s signal caller in the fall, is the unquestioned focal point of the Cardinal boys basketball team’s offense. And the same field vision that has made him one of the best quarterbacks in the Colonial Valley Conference also has made him one of the best passing big men in the league.
On Tuesday, all of Brackett’s skills were on display, as the 6-foot-6 center racked up 17 points, two dunks, six rebounds and five assists to lead Lawrence to a 64-50 win over Ewing at LHS. But it was his unselfish play that stood out, as his adept passing out of double- and triple-teams resulted in seven other Cardinals scoring at least three points.
"When you have confidence in guys making shots, it makes it so much easier for me," Brackett said. "When I’m passing the ball, it changes the focal point of the offense, and I’m able to get open a little more."
Junior guard Chris Martine poured in 14 points from the outside, while senior guard Jamil Brown provided instant offense with eight points off the bench. Senior forwards Shamil Rodriguez (six points) and Randall Zapolski (seven points, five rebounds) played their roles perfectly, and the balanced effort helped Lawrence improve to 5-4 overall and, more importantly, 4-1 in the CVC. It also marked a strong contrast from the Cardinals’ 52-31 loss to Group IV power Bridgewater-Raritan on Saturday.
"Those guys are going to be very important down the stretch," Lawrence coach Pat Tarrant said of his role players. "They contributed tonight. Our last game, Brett had 14 points, but our next highest scorer had five. That’s not going to get it done. Having contributions from other players makes our offense better."
The Cardinal offense was clicking as well as it has all year Tuesday. Brackett scored six points in the first quarter, and the Cardinals closed the period on a 14-2 run to go up by 10. The Blue Devils hung around in the second quarter, but four points off the bench from senior forward Frank Saez helped Lawrence hold on, and Brackett closed the half emphatically with a two-handed fast-break dunk that brought the home crowd to its feet.
"It’s kind of the same feeling you get when you score a touchdown," Brackett said. "It’s a rush. You can’t really describe it. It’s a great feeling."
The action slowed considerably in the second half, with both sides marching on a procession to the free-throw line, combing for 36 foul shots over the final two periods. By the end of the third, the Cardinals were up by 14, and in the fourth, Martine pumped in six to help ice the game.
"I think Chris has matured a lot," Brackett said. "He’s learned to take his shot. He knows he’s a good shooter. It’s just a matter of finding the right shot and taking it."
It was Martine’s fourth game in double figures and third in the last four games. All four of his big scoring efforts have come in CVC games, and the Cardinals have won the last three, with previous victories coming against Allentown on Friday and West Windsor-Plainsboro North on Jan. 4.
"Our top priority is our league," Tarrant said. "Last year we made the state tournament, but we didn’t do well in our league. Our league is going to get crazy. All the teams can beat each other. The games are very intense; all hard battles every night."
In order to prepare for the grueling CVC slate, the Cardinals have played an incredibly difficult out-of-conference schedule in the early going. In addition to Bridgewater, Lawrence has faced St. Patrick of Elizabeth in a regular-season game and Hillsborough and CVC power Hopewell Valley in Hopewell’s John Molinelli Holiday Classic.
"Playing against out-of-conference guys helps us work on what we need to do better in our league which is a very tough league," Brackett said.
Against Allentown, Brackett poured in 20, while Martine had 12, and senior guard Matt Stein and Brown each added 10. The balanced scoring seen in both the wins over Allentown and Ewing is something the Cardinals are focused on carrying into the meat of the schedule.
"That’s definitely one of the things we worked on," Brackett said. "This year we’re pretty deep. That’s one of our challenges this year, to have guys coming off the bench who are as strong or stronger than the starters."
NOTES: In Saturday’s 52-31 loss at Bridgewater, Brackett led the Cardinals with 14 points, while Zapolski had five and Rodriguez added four. The Cardinals led 13-10 after the first quarter and trailed by just four at the half, but Bridgewater outscored Lawrence 29-12 in the second half.
The Cardinals next will play host to Hopewell at 7 p.m. Friday in a re-match of the Molinelli Classic final, which Hopewell won 56-44. The Cardinals then visit Hunterdon Central at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in another tough out-of-conference game.
The CVC schedule heats back up at 7 p.m. Tuesday, when the Cardinals visit Colonial Division rival Steinert. The Cardinals play host to Trenton at 3:45 p.m. Jan. 21 before visiting Morrisville at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27.