By Richard Carrier
Contributing Writer

For Blessed Sacrament Huguenots boys basketball team to come away with a first-round victory in the 10th Annual Covenant Christmas Classic the under-manned Knights would have to control tempo, strike early and stay out of foul trouble against the host squad. With only seven players suited up last Thursday evening, Blessed Sacrament faced a 15 man Eagles roster loaded with speed. Covenant started a four guard -offense and a starting center under 6’3” and, for a rare instance this year, the Knights started slightly superior size. However, Covenant’s back-up 6’7” center would start a scoring surge that would change the complexion of the game.

Blessed Sacrament’s Ethan Sill established early inside dominance with a scoring turnaround and Brian Clarke found him cutting to the basket for a 4 to 1 Knights lead. Brandon Waldorf’s signature foul line jumper put the score at 6-3 BSH before Clarke rain-bowed in a three pointer at 9 to 3 BSH. Covenant drove for two before Sill’s pull-up jumper added his sixth points at 11-5. Covenant answered with a three before Sill turned facilitator, finding Waldorf for an easy two. But with covenant finding the range from three and their legs, the momentum quickly changed and the hosts forged a tie at 13 on their way to a 38 to 68 drubbing of the Knights..

Sill’s hard drive registered his eighth points (the insertion of Covenant’s big center shut him down until the fourth quarter) and gave Blessed Sacrament a 15 to 13 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Eagles opened the second with a 6-0 run before Thomas Murphy found the range from three. Covenant made two free throws, but Murphy countered with another three and the visitors went to the locker room trailing at the half by a scant three points.

Covenant opened the second half with an aggressive chest-to chest defense which immediately took the Knights out of their control half-court offense and got the Eagles into an effective faster pace. Murphy cast in his third consecutive three-pointer to tie it 24. But Covenant went on a 14-0 run; using a semi-break to beat the Knights back down court before they could get into their set half-court defense.

Lay-ups, run-outs, short jumpers and a four-point play saw the host team take a 38-24 lead. Clarke scored on a runner, but the Eagles ripped off another 12 points before Sam Drewicz’s runner at the end of the quarter stopped the bleeding. The Eagles led 28 – 50 at the end of the third period.

Ben Bowles opened the final period with an assist to Clarke for an easy score, Murphy slipped in a runner and then his final three pointer at 35- 56. Covenant reeled off 10 consecutive points before Sill’s offensive rebound and put back and one free throw produced the last points for the Knights.

Murphy led the Blessed Sacrament scorers with 14 points, Sill added 10 and Clarke contributed seven.