Fenwick unable to overcome slow start

Frazier’s home run lifts Reds to 5th straight win
10:20 a.m.
Spartans head to regional final
5/24/12
Fenwick’s tourney run ends in regional semis
5/24/12
2 Middie jumpers qualify for state
5/24/12
College baseball: Miami tops Toledo in MAC tourney
5/23/12
> More sports headlines

By John Bombatch, Staff Writer 1:35 AM Saturday, December 17, 2011

MIDDLETOWN — Visiting Chaminade Julienne High School jumped out to an early lead then held on with some stellar defense to claim a 43-34 Greater Catholic League win over Fenwick on Friday.

Coach Joe Staley praised his team’s defensive play, saying junior guard Austin Piatt did a nice job shutting down the Falcons’ Frank Catrine for at least three quarters.

“Catrine was able to put his head down and do some damage against us late in the game, but that’s because he’s a very good player. I thought our team did a really good job defensively,” he said.

“Offensively? That’s another thing. For whatever reason, we were a little tight. Just like Fenwick, we’ve got a lot of young players. And I think we were just a little tight today.”

Despite the team’s youthfulness, the Eagles (4-1, 3-0 GCL North) took advantage of six Falcons first-half turnovers, scoring on each one.

Three-pointers by guards Piatt, Justin Clark and Aaron Lassalle helped the Eagles roll out to a 22-8 lead midway through the second quarter.

They led 29-13 at the half.

“We just couldn’t keep the offense going throughout. But aside from a couple mistakes, we played pretty good defense for the whole game,” senior forward John Staley said.

Fenwick fell to 2-3 overall and 0-3 in the GCL North.

The Falcons outscored CJ 21-14 in the second half, and scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late.

“(CJ) came out expecting to win, and I don’t think we were ready early on,” Catrine said. “At the end there, we were able to put it together, but it was just too late by then.”

Catrine said the team should be encouraged by how they played in the final quarter, outscoring CJ by a 16-9 margin.

Justin Bibbs led CJ with 14 points and Staley was next with 13.

Fenwick’s lone double-figure scoring output came from sophomore Jeff Klaas, who scored 10 of his 14 points from the left baseline during the second half.

“I’m very proud of the way that we fought back,” Fenwick coach Pat Kreke said, “but you can’t get yourself down by so much to a good team like CJ.”

Both teams return to action Tuesday. Fenwick hosts St. Xavier, while CJ hosts Thurgood Marshall.

Share this article