Upset special: Rochester hoops aiming for second upset win, this time against Imani Christian
ROCHESTER – Rochester played the role of giant slayer when it handed Union its only Section 1-1A loss two weeks ago.
Now, the Rams hope to play the part again – against a team with literal giants.
Rochester (11-12) takes on top-seed Imani Christian (15-6) – and its big men of 6-foot-10 Alier Maluk and 6-8 Virgil Hall in Wednesday’s WPIAL quarterfinals at Moon.
“We have the mindset that we can play with anybody,” Rochester’s Jerome “Duke” Mullins said. “Imani is a good team. We’re just going to have to get back in the lab and work on some things and watch some film on them and go hard at practice to get ready.”
The eighth-seeded Rams are brimming with confidence. After taking down the Scotties, 64-63, on Feb. 7, the team has been on a roll. Rochester beat Western Beaver, 53-44, to close the regular season and held off Summit Academy, 57-52, in Friday’s playoff opener.
“It was a very huge moment for us to beat Union,” Rochester’s Xavier Rigby said. “We worked so hard for that game and for it to pay off was great. It was a great win for us.”
The Rams aren’t done playing spoiler, though. They want to take down the Saints.
“We definitely are looking forward to the challenge,” Rigby said. “There’s no pressure at all on us.”
The victory over Union represented a shift for Rochester. The Rams found a new gear – and at exactly the right time.
“That Union win made us take another step up to a higher level and made us want to keep working hard,” Mullins said. “I think that gave us a lot of confidence. After that win, you could tell everybody had a different mindset. Coming into practice, we want to work and get things done and get out here, play hard and get the win.”
The three wins in a row mark a first for Rochester, which has seen its season filled with inconsistency and – as a result – a sub-.500 record. The squad hopes it has found the right recipe now.
“I just love those guys,” Rigby said. “We keep playing hard. If we keep playing with that kind of mentality, then I don’t think anybody can stop us.”
Head coach Sean Keaton knows his team has potential and he’s thrilled to see it finally start to blossom.
“Union is a great team and a great program. Coach (Mark) Stanley does a great job. That was a big win for us and I think that’s really propelled us. Our guys really believe we’re one of the better teams in Single-A,” he said. “I think we are playing our best basketball now. It’s three wins in a row for us. This is the time you want to start making that trend upward. I think we’re on that now. We have a big test for us on Wednesday. We’ll be ready to play.”
Maluk is – literally – the biggest name on Imani’s roster. The sophomore center is ranked as one of the country’s top prospects in his class. He has a multitude of major college offers already and averages 15.2 points per game. Sophomore Dame Givner’s 15.9 ppg lead the way. Hall, a junior, registers 12.7 ppg.
Rochester’s tallest starter is Brady Gorman, who checks in a 6-4. The Rams don’t care about the height disadvantage. They just want an opportunity.
“They have a lot of size and great guard play. They can really shoot it and they are a very great team,” Keaton said. “Hey, let’s just play and get after it.”
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Upset special: Rochester hoops aiming for second upset win, this time against Imani Christian
