Cardinal boys spreading their wings

Lawrence boys basketball

By: Jim Green
   The Lawrence High School boys basketball team’s two meetings this season with Hopewell Valley come down to a difference of two minutes.
   In the first contest — the final of Hopewell’s John Molinelli Holiday Classic on Dec. 30 — the Cardinals let a close game get away from them in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter and never recovered. On Friday, however, it was a completely different story, as Lawrence outscored Hopewell 15-6 in the final quarter, going on to win 54-36 at LHS.
   "We knew we could play with them if we played better than we did the first time," said Lawrence coach Pat Tarrant, who would win twice more this week to up his career total to 200 wins.
   Junior center Brett Brackett was at his all-around best, scoring 17 points on offense and helping to hold Hopewell star center Brendan Rutledge to 10 points — his lowest output since the Bulldogs’ season-opening loss to Trenton.
   "Brett played him a lot better in the second half," Tarrant said. "Brett just had a real solid all-around game. He scored points on offense, he had some rebounds and some assists, and he blocked a couple shots on defense. He was just all over the place."
   Brackett’s effort helped Lawrence turn what was a 23-22 halftime deficit into a blowout win for the Cardinals.
   "I thought we were a little too passive in the first half," Tarrant said. "I thought we did a much better job running our offense in the second half. Defensively, we played a lot harder. The guys came out and responded in the second half. The first time we played them (the Bulldogs), they were the more aggressive team."
   Junior guard Chris Martine also continued his steady rise, netting 19 points, including three 3-pointers.
   "He came out and moved well without the ball," Tarrant said. "We found him, and he made some nice shots. At one point, he scored seven or nine straight points in the second half."
   Senior forward Randall Zapolski also continued his emergence as a reliable role player for the Cardinals, scoring seven points — including two 3-pointers — and helping to hold the Bulldogs’ myriad offensive weapons in check.
   "He’s made some big shots, and he plays really aggressive defense, which has been a big help for us," Tarrant said.
   Following the hard-fought, emotional win over Hopewell, the Cardinals got up the next morning and caught a 10:30 a.m. bus for Raritan Township, where they would face Hunterdon Central. The Cardinals already had faced two Skyland Conference Group IV schools this season, beating Hillsborough in the Molinelli Classic and losing a road game at Bridgewater-Raritan. On Saturday, they knew they were going to need a complete team effort in order to beat the Red Devils.
   Martine and senior guard Matt Stein led the way, each netting 11 points, and Brackett added 10, as Lawrence pulled out the big 48-44 road win over Central. The victory was the third in a row and the fifth in six games for the Cardinals.
   "It was a real gutsy win," Tarrant said. "We were kind of tired and beat up from the night before."
   Hunterdon Central jumped out to a 13-10 lead by the end of the opening period. But senior guard Jamil Brown, who finished with seven points, came off the bench to spark the Cardinals in the second period.
   "Jamil Brown led a charge at the end of the second quarter," Tarrant said. "We were down by one at halftime. We got behind again in the third, but we came back with a big fourth quarter."
   The Cardinals dominated the final period, outscoring the home team 12-2, as Brackett, Stein and senior forward Frank Saez led a strong defensive effort.
   "Brett had a big block at the end that helped us hang on," Tarrant said. "Frankie Saez had some big defensive plays in the fourth quarter.
   "Matt Stein’s been playing great defense, he’s been running the offense — not turning the ball over. His all-around play has been outstanding. We got a lot of nice performances in that game. We went to the bench a lot more."
   The Cardinals’ received another nice all-around effort Tuesday night in a 58-44 victory at Steinert. The win was the 200th in Tarrant’s illustrious 18-year career, the last 15 of which have been spent on the Lawrence bench.
   Brackett led the Cardinals with 20 points, while Zapolski came up big with 17, including four 3-pointers. Martine chipped in with nine points, and Stein added eight. The Cardinals (8-4 overall, 6-1 in the Colonial Valley Conference), who extended their overall winning streak to four and their CVC streak to five, trailed by two points at halftime but outscored Steinert 22-7 in the fourth to take control.
   The Cardinals’ balanced team offense has helped them survive a brutal early-season schedule. But things won’t get easier any time soon, as Lawrence plays host to Colonial Division rival Trenton at 3:45 p.m. Friday. The Tornadoes lead the division with a 6-0 mark, a half game ahead of the Cardinals.
   "It’s been a lot of fun to watch," Tarrant said. "The team has really matured a lot since the season started. We’re going to need a lot of guys’ contributions."
• NOTES: Brackett is the Cardinals’ leading scorer at 15.8 points per game. Martine was second at 10.8, while Stein is averaging 5.9.
   Following the Trenton game, the Cardinals will visit Morrisville on Jan. 27 and play host to West Windsor-Plainsboro South on Jan. 28.
   Lawrence plays host to Notre Dame of Pennsylvania at 3 p.m. Jan. 29 and Nottingham at 7 p.m. Feb. 1. The Cardinals then travel to Notre Dame of Lawrence at 7 p.m. Feb. 4. The play host to Union at 3 p.m. Feb. 5 and Hightstown at 7 p.m. Feb. 8. They then visit national power St. Anthony at 7 p.m. Feb. 9.