Reaching double digits in the win column by the opening week in January could be just the start of a special winter for Clarke boys’ basketball.
The Rams, who returned four starters and three key reserves from last season’s playoff team, took a big step towards locking up one of Conference A-5’s postseason berths last Saturday with a 57-46 victory over North Shore.
Senior James DeSimone poured in a game-high 27 points and hit 9 of 10 free throws in the closing minutes as Clarke (10-2 overall) won for the fourth time in five conference tries. Seniors Tammyson Emile (13), Zeak Mercado (8) and Jack Hollywood (7) combined for all but two of the other Rams’ points. The Vikings (7-5 overall, 2-2 in A-5) got 15 points from senior Nick La Rosa and 9 apiece from senior Ryan Freund and junior Vasilis Triantafyllou.
“We finished last season strong to make the playoffs and we won a playoff game which was amazing,” said DeSimone, a returning All-County guard who also dished out 7 assists while raising his scoring average to 16.8 points per game. “We played a lot during the offseason and I think that also helped,” he added. “Most of us have played on the same team since middle school, so our chemistry is good.”
Clarke’s ability to dominate the boards against a scrappy opponent was the biggest reason why the Rams jumped out to a 30-17 halftime lead and never looked back. Both Emile and Mercado, who beat the buzzer to end the first quarter with a bucket to make it 16-9, pulled down 10 rebounds.