Josh Nicholas scores 21 points as Friars are crowned CHSAA champs
Josh Nicholas #15 of St. Anthony's tries to draw a foul with an acrobatic move during the NSCHSAA varsity boys basketball final against Kellenberg at Hofstra University on Tuesday, March 1, 2016. Credit: James Escher
It didn’t take long for March to go mad.
A 16-point lead had dwindled to one in six minutes, but No. 4 St. Anthony’s hung on to upset No. 2 Kellenberg, 49-45, in the CHSAA championship Tuesday night at Hofstra. The Friars last won a CHSAA championship in 2007.
St. Anthony’s Josh Nicholas scored 21 points to lead all scorers and earn the game’s Most Valuable Player award. James Pryor added 12, and Mike Mariconda sank a free throw with 5.4 seconds left for the final margin.
Kellenberg’s Kyle DeVerna (15 points) and Steven Torre (14 points) were named CHSAA co-Players of the Year.
Pryor’s layup with 6:22 left gave St. Anthony’s (20-6) a 42-26 lead, but the Firebirds (21-3) scored 19 of the next 23 points to pull within 46-45 on Anthony DeGennaro’s two free throws with 31.3 seconds left.
The Friars called timeout.
“As soon as we went to the huddle,” Nicholas said, “I just told my teammates everybody calm down. Everybody relax. We’ve got the game.”
Nicholas’ confidence was on display as he sank two foul shots with 27.6 seconds left against the backdrop of Kellenberg’s raucous student section.
“The crowd was yelling at me and I love to silence the crowd,” he said.
The Friars gained control with an 18-5 run that spanned the last 10:16 of the first half to take a 22-15 halftime lead. Nicholas began the spurt with a steal and one-handed slam and added a three-pointer and free throw to help St. Anthony’s even the score at 10 at the end of the first.
Pryor and Aidan Conk each scored four points in the second quarter, and Mariconda’s three-pointer with 30 seconds left provided the halftime margin.
St. Anthony’s 2-3 zone packed the paint and forced the Firebirds into shooting from deep, where they were 3-for-13 in the first half.
“We were trying to promote challenged shots,” Friars coach Sal Lagano said.
The Friars, who beat No. 1 Chaminade in the semifinals, got swept by the top two seeds in the regular season.
Said Nicholas, “We always knew we could beat those teams.”
