Holy Trinity wins ugly against tough Iona Prep in Shooting Stars Showcase
Holy Trinity guard TJ Long puts the shot over two Iona Prep defenders, Saturday, January 4, 2020 in the Shooting Stars Basketball Showcase at Long Island Lutheran High School. Credit: George A. Faella
What had looked like a smooth sail for the Holy Trinity boys basketball team on Saturday against Iona Prep turned into a rough ride on the rapids late in the game. That’s when seniors Mike Sixsmith and TJ Long grabbed the rudder and steered the Titans to victory.
After Holy Trinity blew almost all of a lead that was as big as 17 points, the duo combined to go 11-for-13 on free throws in the final quarter as the Titans held on against the talented and tough Gaels for a 73-70 non-conference victory in the Shooting Stars Basketball Showcase at Long Island Lutheran.
“There’s nothing wrong with winning ugly. It’s something you can take pride in,” coach Joe Conefry said. “Every game takes on a life of its own and you have to be able to win in all circumstances. They showed poise and toughness to hold on when things weren’t going well.”
“We’ve got a bunch of dogs who are ready for war,” said Sixsmith, who had 17 points and nine assists. “That’s one of the best teams in the state. We’re going into league play and we’re battle-tested.”
Holy Trinity (7-1) begins defense of its CHSAA title this week when league play commences and, as Long said, “we have a lot of confidence because of some of the games we won.”
Last week the Titans posted a 10-point win over 11-time state public school champion and perennial contender Mount Vernon.
Jared Weekly added 10 points for Holy Trinity on Saturday. Keeshawn Jones had 23 points and Ronald Greene Jr. had 18 points for Iona Prep (6-3).
The Titans grabbed the upper hand with a 10-0 run early in the second quarter that included a pair of three-pointers by Long. The lead was 25-10, which became 40-28 at halftime. A pair of turnovers by the Gaels resulted in layups by Sixsmith and Weekly for a 51-34 lead with about four minutes left in the third quarter.
But Iona Prep turned up the defense and got its fast break going to make it a game. The Gaels went on an 11-2 run to get within 61-56 with 3:15 to play.
The surge was stifled with 2:49 left when a blocking foul on Jones was followed by technical on teammate Marquis Dukes and Iona Prep coach Steve Alvarado. Long and Sixsmith combined to go 5-for-6 on free throws and their poise got the Titans to the finish line.
“For me and TJ, that’s our time late in the game,” Sixsmith said. “We like be the leaders and set the tone when the games get close.”
The Gaels got within 69-67 when Greene hit a free throw with 16.1 seconds to go but Iona Prep had to go to a fouling strategy. Long and Mick Margetson each hit a pair of free throws to seal the win.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
