Boys basketball: Blaise New and Iona Prep secure long-awaited win over Stepinac
NEW ROCHELLE - Blaise New got everything he wanted.
Iona Prep’s crafty point guard wanted the ball with the game on the line. He also wanted to end Stepinac’s eight game winning streak in the forever rivalry.
New went left off a hard A.J. Rodriguez screen with the game on the line and let go of a floater one step inside the free-throw line. The ball rattled around for an eternity before falling with 2.9 seconds remaining. The Gaels came up with one last stop, then celebrated a 44-42 victory on Saturday at Iona University.
The play will stay in the memory bank for a lifetime.
“We haven’t beat them in a few years, so with 10 seconds left, I needed the ball in my hands and I needed to make a play,” New said. “Trust me, we know exactly how long it’s been since we beat them. Anytime we played Stepinac, we knew we’re the underdog coming in, so we needed this one.”
Rankings:An impressive week helps Iona Prep reverse directions
Last week:Iona Prep adds to hard-earned momentum with comeback win at Mount Vernon
January: Four takeaways from the Slam Dunk Showcase and Crusader Classic
It was a long night for the Crusaders, who struggled to control tempo and make shots.
They went 1 for 12 from the field to start and were trailing 16-2 at the end of the first quarter. Iona Prep was beginning to feel the familiar pressure in fourth quarter when a Ben Lyttle free throw made it a 38-38 deadlock.
Over the years, the Gaels have experienced more than a few stumbles in this game.
“It was great to start off with that kind of a lead, but teams go on runs,” Rodriguez said. “We didn’t let them get in our heads. It was a gritty win.”
And it capped an impressive week for Iona Prep, which also toppled Mount Vernon and St. Francis Prep.
“They continue to prove themselves and build on what we’re doing,” Gaels coach Steve Alvarado said. “They’ve shown over the last week they can knock off anyone and that should really help us going into the postseason.”
What it means
Iona Prep now believes it can beat Stepinac. And if the Gaels close out the regular season with a win over Mount St. Michael, they will have serious momentum to go with the newfound confidence heading into the CHSAA playoffs.
“This shows that we’re a good team and we can hang with the best,” Rodriguez said.
Player of the game
Alexander Bryant did a little of everything to help Iona Prep end the slide against Stepinac. He went 5 for 6 from the field, scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked one shot.
Final. Iona Prep 44, Stepinac 42. Blaise New floater 2.9 seconds left was the difference. pic.twitter.com/UbC9q2esAf
— lohudhoopsmbd (@lohudhoopsmbd) February 12, 2023
By the numbers
Stepinac (16-7, 13-3): Lyttle had another double-double, getting 11 points and 10 rebounds. … Danny Carbuccia had eight points and four assists. … Jordan Gabriel finished with eight points. … Boogie Fland, who battled an illness this week, went 1 for 9 and was limited to just two points. …The Crusaders went 1 for 18 from behind the arc.
Iona Prep (15-8, 10-6): Rodriguez had 10 points and nine rebounds. … Johnny Keenan finished with nine points. … New wound up with seven points and five assists. … Bangaly Berete went for seven points and seven rebounds. … The Gaels committed just seven turnovers.
They said it
“It stings a little more because that’s our biggest rival,” Lyttle said. “We had a game plan, we followed it, but we didn’t shoot well. Hopefully, we’ll see them again. … We’re going to work on getting back to ourselves.”
“I can’t imagine what had been in the back of their minds,” Alvarado said of the mental strength required to hold Stepinac off. “There’s been a lot of frustration. We’ve had very good moments against them. We’ve led at the half and led after three quarters over the past few years, but we haven’t been able to make enough plays at the end. Today it almost happened again, but they drew on their experience and fortitude to just hang in there.”
Mike Dougherty covers basketball for The Journal News and lohud.com. He can be reached at mdougher@lohud.com or via Twitter @lohudhoopsmbd.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: lohud boys basketball Iona Prep tops Stepinac 44-42, Feb. 11, 2023
