Red Bank and Notre Dame opened up their prep basketball seasons Tuesday night in one of those overlapping games that takes place when schools happen to field powerhouse football squads.
With the host Lions still grinding it out on the gridiron and the visiting Irish just completing another successful football campaign, both basketball head coaches found themselves a little short on bodies as there were more players watching than playing.
Nonetheless, both Red Bank coach Nick Fike and Notre Dame coach Jonathan Adams came away equally parts impressed and frustrated with the season opener.
And both came away, no doubt, with a list longer than a CVS receipt of things to work on.
Oh, and by the way, Notre Dame won the game 53-44.
“I was impressed with how hard we played and the effort we put into it for 32 minutes,” said Adams. “We got a lead and found out one of the hardest things you do on a basketball court is play with a lead.”
The Irish used a 14-5 second quarter advantage to take a 23-15 halftime lead and stretched it out to 31-16 midway through the third period before the “Lion 8” willed themselves back into the game with an energetic spurt and a boisterous home crowd behind them and got it to within 40-33 in the final period.
Red Bank only had eight players dressed and went most of the second half with only five players in the rotation as Fike awaits a contingent of about a dozen or so players still working hard in preparation for a state quarterfinals football battle at Upperman this Friday.
“We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole in that second period. I thought Notre Dame did a great job of speeding us up into some ill-advised shots and that was the difference in the game. We played with some energy, though, and got back in it, but in the end they handled their business and we’ll have to go back to the lab and get some more work in,” Fike said.
Notre Dame was able to put the game away thanks to solid work at the free throw line, canning 10 of 11 freebies in the final period to keep the Lions at bay.
“That was definitely a bright spot. So many games are won or lost at the free throw line, so to bring a young group in here on the road and hit some pressure ones is nice,” Adams admitted.
Notre Dame must replace a lot of scoring from a team that went deep in the postseason last year, and Adams looks as if playmaker Derwin Lewis will be the one pulling the trigger. Lewis finished with 24 points and sophomore Cal Price added 19.
Both squads were in a giving mood in the opener as Notre Dame turned it over 23 times and Red Bank gave it up 22 times. Brandon Jones and Tory Sewell combined for 33 points for the Lions with Jones leading with his 18 and Sewell adding 15.
Red Bank hit on 18 of 42 shots from the floor and Notre Dame was just under 50 percent at 19 of 40. The Irish outshot the Lions at the charity stripe 12-of-17 to four-of-10.
Red Bank girls 54, Notre Dame 52: Both of these teams are coming off 20-win seasons a year ago and each could make some noise with what they return this year. The Lionettes got off to hot start, but the Lady Irish countered with a strong second quarter in what turned out to be nip-and-tuck to the end.
Katie Ford’s 3-pointer to open the final period put Notre Dame up 46-40, but the Lady Irish would go without a field goal until 1:34 left in what turned into a decisive 12-0 stretch for Red Bank.
Bailey Lee had several big rebounds and put backs in the run and finished with 22 points to lead the Lionettes.
“It was a frustrating game and we’ve got a long way to go, but Bailey Lee put the girls on her back and got us home,” said Red Bank coach Bailey McGinnis.
Ford powered the Lady Irish with her long balls, knocking down four treys in a game-high 25 points.
Girls Boxscore
Notre Dame 14 15 14 9 -- 52
Red Bank 20 7 13 14 -- 54
NOTRE DAME (52) – Averie Sheppard 11, Kate Ford 25, Sparks 2, Mackenzie Johnson 8, Campbell 6, Bird, McCormack, Fillauer 2, Skaggs.
RED BANK (54) – Roberts 4, Washington 2, Zanobia Pratt 10, Romans 7, Ware, Arteya Scott 9, Bailey Lee 22.
3-point goals: Notre Dame 6 (Ford 4, Campbell 2); Red Bank 2 (Roberts, Scott).
Boys Boxscore
Notre Dame 9 14 12 18 -- 53
Red Bank 10 5 10 17 -- 44
NOTRE DAME (53) – Jones, Wittler, Jatta, Derwin Lewis 24, Robinson, Osbourne 2, Smith 4, Summitt, Cal Price 19, Turley, Wilkerson 4.
RED BANK () – Sexton 3, Tory Sewell 15, Brandon Jones 18, Ellis, Tillett, Ellison 4, Holland 2, Swanson.
3-point goals: Notre Dame 3 (Price2, Lewis); Red Bank 2 (Sewell 2).
(Contact James Beach via email at 1134james@gmail.com or Twitter @beachnut1134)