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| Kennedy’s Chomari Joseph (32) puts up a shot in traffic during Sunday’s game at Sacred Heart. |
Kennedy boys basketball couldn’t have asked for a better start against Sacred Heart in a rare Sunday afternoon road game at Alumni Hall.
The Eagles got points from Chomari Joseph, Tyvon Stenson and Lashawn Smith on the way to an 11-4 lead against the Hearts in the first quarter.
Then the wheels came off the bus. Not just a couple, but all of them.
Poor offense and shoddy defense helped Sacred Heart erupt for a 27-0 run. Kennedy watched its seven-point lead turn into a 20-point deficit midway through the second quarter.
The Eagles never drew closer than 12 points the rest of the way and lost 66-51.
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| Kennedy head coach Ryan Sullivan voices his displeasure with a call during the game. |
“Our offense just got bogged down,” Kennedy head coach Ryan Sullivan said.
How bogged down? The Eagles had one basket in the second quarter and five points total.
“We spoke to them at halftime, and we said ‘guys, you can’t shoot any worse than you did,'” Sullivan said.
Lay-ups and foul shots failed to go in. It was a frustrating half for the road team.
Kennedy did play better in the second half, and it outscored Sacred Heart 35-33 in the final 16 minutes.
“I thought we played much better in the second half,” Sullivan said.
Senior Chomari Joseph proved to be tough to stop on the baseline for the Eagles. He scored 12 points in the second half and finished with 16, tied with junior Smith for the team high. Stenson, a senior, added 13 points.
“When they were down 20, they could’ve hung their heads,” Sullivan said. “They battled, they stayed in there.”
Sullivan appreciated his team’s effort in the second half.
“I’m happy that we battled,” Sullivan said. “That’s the biggest thing.”
While Joseph was scoring on the baseline, Smith was showing prowess both under the basket and in the mid-range game. Stenson pushed the ball to the basket and got to the foul line, where he made 7 of 10 attempts.
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| Kennedy’s Tyairus Sands (5) sets a screen for teammate Tyvon Stenson (24). |
The problem for Kennedy at the foul line was Stenson was the only consistent shooter. The Eagles finished a paltry 11-of-22 at the charity stripe. Fifty percent free throw shooting won’t make any coach happy.
With the loss, Kennedy dropped to 10-2. Still, Sullivan likes what has gone on with the Eagles so far.
“I am pleasantly surprised,” Sullivan said. “The guys are working hard.”
What’s more, Sullivan thinks his team hasn’t played its best yet. The goal is to be at peak play in March, but first, there’s a challenging schedule ahead.
After Seymour, Kennedy plays Holy Cross and Crosby this week. Next week brings games against Wilby and Waterbury Career Academy.
“We got a tough stretch ahead of us,” Sullivan said. “We’ll see what happens.”
