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C2 Cumberland Sunday Times, March 23,1986Monroe Sparks Goretti Over Jesuit, 64-49HALL TO THE HOOP — Jesuit College Prep’s Mark Hall (31) goes to the basket on St. Maria Goretti’s Rodney Monroe (10) Saturday night in the consolation finals of the 26th annual Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament at Frostburg State College. Monroe finished the game with 25 points as Goretti top*By MIKE BURKE Times-News WriterRodney Monroe, the Maryland high school basketball player of the year, scored 25 points to lead the St. Maria Goretti Gaels past the Jesuit College Prep Rangers 64-49 in the consolation championship game of the 26th annual Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament Saturday evening at Frostburg State CollegeThe Gaels, the Baltimore Catholic League champion, thus conclude the season with a 29-7 record and send their coach, Cokey Robertson, back to Hagerstown a very relieved and proud man.The Gaels, without question, came to Cumberland with more adversity than any of the seven other teams in the field could think of having. Despite having an outstanding tournament. Monroe was hobbled by a bad right ankle throughout. Goretti’s second leading scorer, Lee Hicks, had been suspended from the team prior to the ACIT, and Monroe’s backup, Dean Hamburg, was less than 100 percent with a kidney infection.The clincher in all of this is Robertson is a native of nearby Lonaconing. There isn’t a stif-fer pressure in the world than having to show the home folks how well the native son has been doing since he left the nest. Add a depleted team in all of this and you can understand why basketball coaches chew towelsBut Robertson held up wellthrough the weekend and Saturday after his team defeated Jesuit, he was the picture of a relieved and proud basketball coach.“Oh my gosh, yes,’’ said Robertson, “we’ll take two out of three in this tournament any time. With what this team has had to go through? This is a tough, proud group of kids and they accomplished more than any team in this field“The fans here still didn’t see what this team is capable of, but they saw a gutty group of kids.’’Robertson, no doubt, is anxious to return to the ACIT next year when Monroe will be a senior. “That’s our goal. The kids just said to me, ‘Next year we re coming back with all the guns.”’The Gaels also got a strong performance from Chris Bowers and Danny Burke. Bowers hit seven of eight from the field on his way to 16 points and Burke shot six of ten in scoring 14. Jesuit, from Dallas, Texas, was led by Joe Tillotson with 13 and Mark Hall with 12.Behind Monroe’s 14 points and Bowers’ 10, the Gaels jumped out to a 32-20 lead with 1:46 left in the second period. But a Jesuit run spearheaded by Hank Dudek, Chris Speer, and Tillotson cut that Goretti lead down to seven at the half, 34-27.The Rangers were hampered by lousy foul shooting in the half, hitting only three of 11.“We were doing what we were supposed to do to get toped Jesuit 64-47.the line,” said Jesuit coach George Coelen. “But after seeing our performance at the line, nobody would believe we were a good foul shooting team. But we are. We missed a lot of one and ones. ”Coelen was impressed withhis opponent, though. “We executed well and got their big guy (Sean Fisher) in foul trouble, but they have a very nice team. They have good shooters and they pass as well as any team we’ve played this year. Coach Robertson has donea heck of a job keeping his club together this week.”The Rangers came to the ACIT with a 27-5 mark but hadn’t played a game in five weeks. Coelen thought the layoff affected his club. “Especially in the fourth quarter. I think we got a little tired. But I still think we represented Texas basketball very well, and if I have any say in it, we will be back to this tournament. Just play it five weeks earlier, okay?”The Gaels built up a ten-point lead with 5:21 left in the game behind an inside move by Burke, a jump-hook by Monroe and a pair of Monroe free throws.After Tillotson hit from the top of the key for the Rangers and Dudek hit one of two free throws, the Gaels put on the final blitz to wrap up the consolation title.Bowers hit from the left side of the key before Monroe converted on two free throws. On a beautiful three-on-two break, Burke found Monroe underneath for two more.With 2:25 left in the game. Monroe, who finished the game with five assists, returned the favor and led Burke perfectly on a two-on-one break to give Goretti a 58-45 leadMonroe then scored on a sharp tip-pass from Fisher to open up a 15-point Gael lead, 60-45. The final two minutes was played at the foul line as Goretti held the Ragners off to win 64-47.Goretti shot 55 percent fromthe field while the Rangers came in at 41 percent. Fisher was the game’s leading rebounder with nine as the Gaels out boarded the Rangers 31-23.Coming into the ACIT Robertson said he felt his Gaels were capable of winning the whole ball of wax. After the suspension of Hicks and the injury to Monroe, the former ^ Valley star was afraid he had • gone from one extreme to the other. After the Gaels lost to St. John’s Thursday evening, Robertson met with some anxious moments.But rallying around the inspired play of the injured Monroe, Robertson’s Gaels made his homecoming a successful one — one the George’s Creek basketball fans who follow Robertson's career will surely give a passing mark to.The look on Robertson’s face after Saturday’s game indicated he couldn’t have been prouder had his Gaels won the whole ball of wax.Jesuit (47)Joe Tillotson 6 13 12 13, Mark Hall 5 13 2 3 12,Vic Howell 4-7 0-1 8, Hank Dudek 3 7 2-8 8, Rich Pel ton 0-0 0-0 0, Mike Poarch 0 0 0 0 0, Chris Speer 13 0 0 2, Clint Morrison 0-1 2 2 2, Nelson Udstelin 0-0 2 4 2, Mike Murray 0-0 0-1 0, Mike Grimes 0-0 0-0 0, Mike Egan 0 1 0 0 0, Todd Boedmg 0 0 0-0 0, David Jacquaet 130-0 2. Totals 20 48 9 21 49 St. Maria Goretti (44)Chris Bowers 7 8 2 2 16, Danny Burke 6 10 2-5 14, Sean Fisher 2-6 12 5, Chris Logsdon 0-3 12 1, Charles McCuster 0-1 2-2 2, Rodney Monroe 9-15 7 10 25, Carlo Della Mea 0-0 0-0 0, Dean Hamburg 0-0 12 1, Dan Fearnow 0-10-0 0. Mike Mumma 0 0 0-20 Totals 24-44 16-27 64 Jesuit 14 27 3847Goretti 21 34 43 64Total touls: Jesuit 20, Goretti 20. Fouled out none Rebounds Goretti 31 (Fisher 9), Jesuit 23 (Hall 8) Assists Goretti 18 (Fisher, Monroe 5 each), Jesuit 14 (Speer, Tillotson 3 each). Turnovers Jesuit 10, Goretti 10.
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Cumberland Sunday Times
Cumberland, Maryland, US
Sun, Mar 23, 1986
Page 245
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MD, USA 24 May 2024
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