HAMILTON â€" There may come a time as this season progresses when the Trenton Catholic Academy boys’ basketball team will point back to Monday and say it’s when the Iron Mikes drew the necessary lessons to fully tap into its potential.
But in the interim, it will go down as just another setback against a highly touted opponent.
Playing host to Houston’s Trent InternationalE â€" a basketball-centered school similar to that of Nevada’s Findlay Prep, which the Iron Mikes defeated at the 2010 PrimeTime Shootout â€" the Iron Mikes’ late comeback attempt fell short and Trent escaped with a 48-45 victory at the Iron Palace in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee.
“I’d rather play them now and get the experience that we need now,†TCA head coach Mel Weldon said. “Later on when we get into the state tournament we’re going to need the experience of playing in games like this.â€
Down 46-35 with 2:30 to play, the Iron Mikes scored 10 of the game’s next 12 points to pull within three, 48-45, with 22.1 seconds left.
Weldon called timeout and diagramed a play designed to get either Charles Cooke or Malachi Richardson open on one of the two wings for a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
But Trent’s Qua Doster pressured Iron Mikes’ ball-hander George Sapp, and by the time Sapp was able to find Cooke on the left wing, all the standout 6-foot-5 senior could muster was a desperation 3-point attempt that was a little long and a little right.
“There was some over-dribbling a little bit but the play was designed for Mal (Malachi Richardson) and I to pop out,†Cooke, who led all scorers with 16 points, said. “We eventually swung it around but I just missed the shot.â€
Down 19-17 at half, TCA came out strong to start the third quarter, using a 9-5 run to grab a 26-24 lead. But turnovers, something that has at times plagued the Iron Mikes this season, proved to be problematic yet again.
After turning the basketball over just four times in the first half, TCA committed 11 turnovers in the second half â€" many of which were unforced and led directly to Trent points. Continued...
“That’s something that we really need to adjust and work on,†Cooke said. “Taking care of the ball has been an issue all season. It’s just unforced turnovers most of the time. That’s something that we need to work on, and it starts in practice.â€
“That’s the game,†Weldon said of the turnovers. “Against good teams you can’t turn the ball over. We have to live and learn and hopefully by the end of the season those turnovers will turn into points for us.â€
A major bright spot for the Iron Mikes was the debut of 6-foot-8 center A.J. Sumbry. After spending his freshman and sophomore years at Hightstown, Sumbry spent last season at NIA Prep. And after sitting the first 30 days of this season out, Sumbry contributed in a big way on the defensive end with nine rebounds and three blocks.
“He did a great job in his first game for us, especially because he hasn’t played since last year,†Weldon said. “I’ve seen a lot of improvement in him playing against Brandon (Taylor) in practice. He did a great job defensively and rebounding and his offense will come along.â€
Richardson continued a fine freshman season with eight points and Taylor â€" who figures to be a beneficiary from Sumbry’s presence â€" added seven points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
Trent’s Aly Mohammed, a Rice recruit, Ahmed Hamdy and Justin McCray netted 12 points apiece.
TRENT INT. (48)
Aly Mohammed 5-0-12, Ahmed Hamdy 5-2-12, Justin McCray 4-0-12, Qua Doster 4-1-10, Seth Rogers 0-2-2, Solheil Youseffi 0-0-0, Kaylen Doster 0-0-0, Mike Lyle 0-0-0. Totals: 18-5-48.
TCA (45)
Charles Cooke 7-2-16, Malachi Richardson 3-0-8, Brandon Taylor 2-2-7, Chazz Patterson 2-0-4, A.J. Sumbry 1-0-2-4, Nazier Chew 1-0-3, George Sapp 1-0-3, Nate King 0-0-0. Totals: 17-6-45. Continued...
Trent (Tx.) (14-7) 14 5 17 12 â€" 48
TCA (7-3) 11 6 14 14 â€" 45
3-point: TI: McCray 4, Mohammed 2, Doster; TCA: Richardson 2, Taylor Sapp, Chew.
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