Basketball News | CAS Round 2 vs St. Aloysius
“Trinity get smashed on the boards in a tough night at Aloy’s.”
1st V
Trinity ran into a very confident Aloy’s team, who after two games, is proving the School to beat in the CAS. They dominated the Greens on the boards and the scoreboard. Trinity were out rebounded (33-70) and allowed Aloy’s to rack up 85 points on them as the First suffered a 23-point loss.
The first period Trinity were outplayed by Aloy’s to find themselves down early (21-29). Jesse Edwards (10WH) on the offensive end was the shining light in the opening half as poured in 17 points. James Arthur (12WH) also showed some nice touch, but it was Trinity’s defence and lack of rebounding that allowed Aloy’s to roll on. The boys rallied late in the second quarter as James Andrews (12La) and Jayden Woods (12Ar) got out and ran for some quick transition baskets to see the Greens hopeful at the half down by 7 points (44-51).
Needing a strong start after the break Trinity continued to allow Aloy’s to outmuscle them around the basket and the Greens were again in a hole at the end of the third period (67-52). The injection of Myles Buvac (9WJ) added some spark to Trinity with his ability to get into the seams of the Aloy’s defence and also create havoc with his hustle on both sides of the ball. Cristian Farr (12WH) battled hard against Aloy’s dominant big, but he proved too good on the night, as he destroyed Trinity with a double, double (31 pts. 27 rebs.).
Trinity will need to get back to basics and find that Greens defensive toughness that has served them so well over many years when they return home to take on Waverley this coming Friday night and last home game for the shorten season.
Leading Statistics
Jesse Edwards – 22 pts. 8 rebs. 4 stls.
Jayden Woods – 12 pts. 5 rebs.
James Andrews – 11 pts. 5 rebs
James Arthur – 11 pts. 4 asts.
2nd V
In what was a raucous, rowdy environment in the St. Aloysius’ Gym, the game started slow, with both teams struggling to score early. Alisi Leao (12Mu) provided the offensive punch in the first period with the opening two baskets. Anson Zhou (12Ke) stepped up in the second quarter, orchestrating from the perimeter and dropping seven points, as Trinity clawed back from a seven-point deficit to briefly take the lead. A few errors just before the main break allowed Aloy’s to retake the lead by three points (14-17) as both Schools headed to the changerooms.
In the second half, the crowd really got behind the home team, propelling them ahead of Trinity to end the third quarter (21-29) with a solid buffer. Adam Taleb (11Mu) and Hugo Reed (11Ho) gave the Greens some much needed energy and positive play, however it wouldn’t be enough as St. Aloysius prevailed by thirteen points (30-43).
Leading Statistics
Anson Zhou – 9 pts.
Alisi Leao – 8 pts. 8 rebs.
Adam Taleb – 4 pts. 9 rebs.
3rd V
Trinity was slow out of the blocks in the first half and slowly gained composure to get their potent running game going. Denis Petrides (11Yo) had quick hands stealing the ball on many occasions, which inspired the Thirds defence. Lachlan Chung (11Ho) came off the bench making a huge impact as Trinity led at the break by 3 points. From that point on the Greens never looked back playing a great team game with all players involved in scoring opportunities which led to a clear win and a 2-0 start.
4th V
Although the Fourths had a few players withdraw Saturday morning and our opponents had a full squad on the bench, the men in Green were able to control the game from beginning to end. Lachlan Wolfe (12St) and Aiden Daher (12Ke) were able to dictate the tempo and give Trinity many opportunities for good looks at the basket. Sam Niulala (11St) and Daniel Lu (12We) were dominant under the basket at both ends. Michael Assaf (11St) really looked at sharp on the perimeter and was able to steal the ball on many occasions and inspire Trinity to a clear win.
5th V
The Fifths with a number of players out, secured their second straight win. Joel Maher (11Ta) was outstanding in the last 10 minutes to turn the game to a Green victory. His steal with three minutes remaining setup the Trinity win. Gabriel Simoes Peixeiro (11Sc) came to life in the second half, playing with greater determination in the key, driving effectively to the basket, which resulted in numerous free throws which he sank to close the match out. Liam Cavanagh (11Ar) also lifted his intensity after the break grabbing a bundle of rebounds as the Fifths tough ‘D’ when it matters shone through.
6th V
Alex Fisterman (11WH) stamped his authority on this game, driving effectively on numerous occasions to secure the basket and the extra point. However, the most dominant player this week was Ari Tashtan (11Ke) whose determination at both ends of the court was tremendous, including a long ‘3’ from the left corner. Pete Mitrokas (11Mu) was ferocious in his various defensive roles, especially on the ‘D’ boards. He was ably supported by Emile Harb (11Sc) as Trinity secure the 13-point victory to make it a perfect two wins to start the season.
7th V
Trinity’s great start to the season (2-0) continued with a 15-point victory away from home. Early on in the game it was a tight affair, but second-half saw the Sevenths come out strong to over-power with some athletic and fast basketball. Jude Robinson (12St) led the scoring with 10 points and was well supported by Dom Feros (12WJ) with 7 points. Isaac Cunningham (12He), Nicholas Keogh (12Ta) and James Andrianakos (12Yo) pushed the pace which opened up opportunities for their teammates. Hugh Browning (12Du), Sebastian Sara (12Du) and McKenzie Stewart (12Mu) were the wall on the defensive end making not allowing Aloy’s any easy baskets.
8th V
An undermanned Eights showed great resilience to win the game by 12 points. Sam Waddington (12Mu) was sensational scoring 14 points in an energetic performance at both ends. Josh Boursiani-Lawrence (11We) and Jack Gully (11WH) provided the power around the basket, while Biaggio Signorelli (12Ta) produced some clutch 3 pointers. Leonard Yoon (12St) was solid on the boards.
9th V
A strong performance and great team effort resulted in a second impressive win from Trinity. Some excellent shooting from Cody Lambert (11He) helped him collect 14 points, while strong drives to the basket from Rowan O’Connor (11Mu) saw him with 10 points. Some high intensity defence from Christian Falato (11Sc) lead to some excellent steals and break away points for the Greens, going into half time leading by 9 points. A highlight in the second half came from a steal and break away by Ben Robinson (12Yo) and with the shout of dunk from his peers, brimmed him with confidence and he leaped high enough to slam dunk, only for Ben to lose his grip at the last second. The crowd went wild, nonetheless. A great team performance and solid win.
10th V
Trinity played at a high pace, resulting in an early lead. Solid defence and some strong rebounding from Ross Oddie (11Fo) were also a key factor. A flurry of mid-range buckets around the key from Emmanuel Rizkalla (11Sc) allowed Trinity’s to maintain its lead. Strong defence and rock-solid rebounding by Jaiden Timperi (12Hi) and Cooper Twine (11Mu) made it tough for Aloy’s to score. Crafty play by Enoch Chan (11Du) resulted in numerous steals which set up several break away points in the final few minutes to clinch the victory.
Year 10A
For the second game of the season, the 10As put up an impressive performance to come away with a 26-point win. Caleb Leao (Mu) lead the way offensively with 19 points, but also was active in the full court trap getting steals and stops. Hayden Hoang (Ta) brought an intensity and hustle, which boosted the teams play. Henry Mansfield (Ke) was also a huge presence, with his relentless hustle on defence. Will Constanti (La) kept Trinity’s intensity heading into the second half by securing key rebounds and getting scores in the paint.
Year 10E
Its never easy going down by 3 points and just missing buzzer beater shot to tie the game. However, the 10Es should be commended for their resilience, relentless effort in an inspiring performance. Good ball movement ended with mid-range jump shots for Kevin Lin (Sc). Jett Halmarick (Ar) nailed the team’s first 3-pointer and a special mention to Angelo Shih (Sc) for his offensive rebounding and hunger to get up and down court.
Year 9A
Trinity got off to a great start leading by 11 points by halftime. The Greens allowed Aloy’s to get back into the contest, making for a tight game with 5 minutes remaining. However, Trinity began to move the ball and make strong cuts, resulting in an 8-point victory. James Borg (He) knocked down two critical threes in the second half while a relentless Harrison Lyttle (Ar) contributed 25 points.
Year 9B
The year 9B team had a comfortable 18 points win playing great unselfish basketball with lots of movement offensively leading to multiple players contributing on the scoreboard. Liam Wu (Sc) controlled the pace of the game well and ended up with 11 points, while Austin Daher (Ke) was able to find his way through gaps in the defence for 12 points.
Year 9C
An undermanned Trinity side saw them lose another close encounter. Marcus Kekatos (Ar) did all he could throughout the game setting up his teammates and leading the team. Nass Awad (Ho) was key in ensuring his team was in it till the end, his energy and effort should be commended.
Year 9D
Another valiant effort from the boys in Green, which resulted in them notching up their first win of the season. Noah Pernic (Hi) was dominant on the defensive end, getting multiple steals which turned into points down the other end. Jared Kong (La) was able to show his leadership again steering the team around.
Year 9E
This was the 9Es first game with a full squad. Jake Matthews (Ke) and Isaac Irwin (Yo) provided their usual offensive punch which yielded high quality shots in the paint despite the physical play from Aloy’s. Joshua Kirk (Fo) ran the floor extremely well in his return to play. Khaled Malass (Ta) was able to knock down some timely jumpers in rhythm to extend the lead and ultimately give Trinity the 8-point win.
Year 9F
Due to unexpected absences the 9Fs had to run with only six players. Despite this the boys were able to outlast Aloy’s using plenty of time outs for rest. Ahmed Ammoura (We) provided a solid leadership from the point guard position, doing his best to dictate the pace. Travis Ng (WJ) played great defence in the paint, while Declan Tan (Mu) and Andy Lin (WJ) hustled on every loose ball play, providing Trinity with plenty of extra possessions, resulting in an inspiring win for the Greens.
Year 9G
Trinity had a strong 21-point victory to make it two wins in a row. Highlights were Lachlan Hovilai (Yo) for his dominance in coast to coast efforts, while Maxwell Padmore (Mu) cleaned up the rebounds, to get it quickly to Jason Taouk (WJ) to kick start the fast break for easy points.
Year 9H
The 9Hs put in a tremendous effort in a narrow 2-point loss. Special mentions must go to Hadi Saab (Mu) for his impactful play, often cleaning up on the offensive rebounds and putting back for big buckets. Kenneth Rathore (He) led the team in assists and served up numerous buckets in the paint.
Year 8F
Another hard-fought game, with Trinity coming up just short by 4 points. Liam Walker (Ho) set the tone early with a personal scoring run that ignited Trinity’s offense, whilst Timothy Park (Du) played an outstanding second half defensively, reading the offense with confidence and ease. Also, worth mentioning is the spirited performance from Isaac Bassily (Yo), whose physicality and rebounding proved instrumental to the team’s performance.
Year 8G
The Greens got out to an early lead thanks to the versatile combo of Aiden Lang (Ho) and Nicholas Daw (Ta), reminiscent of the “Kobe-Shaq” tandem, as Aiden scored at will, with Nicholas dominating the paint on each end. Trinity began the second half with a small lead as Khan Ozacardi (Fo) provided his consistent shooting and Justin Do (Du) grabbed every rebound in sight. However, a dry spell for the 8Gs offense allowed Aloy’s to creep ahead and win the game by just 2 points.
Year 8H
Trinity was led offensively by the two-headed monster of Christian Ng (WJ) and Joseph Khor (Hi), unstoppable in transition throughout the game and providing the Greens with a four-point lead heading into the final ten minutes. However, defensively, the team as a whole ‘fell asleep at the wheel,’ allowing Aloy’s to escape narrowly with a 4-point victory. An unfortunate result from a fantastic effort on the day.
Year 8I
Trinity were determined to go 2-0 after securing an opening round win. Kings School started fast putting Trinity on the back foot early to lead by 10 points. But off the back of an outstanding offensive and defensive effort from Ayman Kassem (WH), the 8Is managed to work their way back into this game. Hussien Zein (He) led the scoring again this week, helping put Trinity ahead. Special mention must go to Hesham Eid (La) for making an early return from injury to contribute in a big way to this win.
Year 8J
This clash was always going to be a challenge for Trinity considering the size of the opposition from Kings, but the boys showed some serious fight and stayed in this clash right down to the final moments. Matthew Tse (Fo) and Zeke Gourlas (La) combined well to keep Trinity in the contest. Eason Fang (La) was also impressive, adding to Trinity’s total throughout the match. Max Tyson (St) showed plenty of potential and Christie Cheung (Ar) fought hard in defence, helping force some key turnovers. Kings were too good in the end and ran away with the lead, but the 8Js should be proud of their effort against a dominant opposition.
Year 7A (Match of the Round)
A slow start saw Trinity playing catchup for most of the game. While the defensive pressure of our guards in Samuel De Alwis (We), Charlie Earthrowl (Yo) and Jacob Chong (Hi) disrupted St Aloysius’ ability to find open shots, rebounding was again an issue for the 7As, allowing a number of second chance opportunities. In the closing minute of the game, the boys were able to pull off consecutive steals and scores, the most dramatic of which was Ezekiel Kho (Ar) getting a steal and then being fouled under the unsportsmanlike criteria, which resulted in two shots and possession. Ezekiel made the second free throw to tie the game with 2.2 seconds remaining. Trinity had the ball from the side and then it found its way to Kho who hit a deep jump shot on the buzzer to put Trinity over the line by two.
Year 7B
In their first game with a full squad, the 7Bs had to learn how to play with one another. The Greens defence was intense; however, a number of boys were too eager and fell into foul trouble early. Hugh Labas (He) was a defensive spark in his first game for Trinity, getting a number of steals before also getting into foul trouble. Jayden Rodger (Ta) showed great leadership in getting Trinity organised and being a consistently supportive teammate regardless of the score. Aaron Siva (Ke) also showed great ability to get past his man and get to the rim. While the boys didn’t get the result they would have liked, their effort was commendable and have certainly improved from last week.
Year 7D
It was a great game that went down to the wire in a nail-biting, back-and-forth contest. In the first half, Trinity had some trouble making their shots, however the 7Ds full-court defensive pressure kept them in the match. Callum Charnock’s (We) defensive intensity led to many steals and rebounds which allowed William Sheldrick (We) to get the hot hand, finishing multiple fast break lay-ups. The Trinity boys showed great improvement from last week in this confidence boosting win.
Year 7I
The 7Is battled resiliently against a much stronger 7Gs Kings School team. Elijah Lee (Fo) and Ryan Kim (WJ) demonstrated both excellent defensive and offensive skills during the game through a plethora of steals and baskets. Similarly, Juan Borg (Du) and Jack Cooper (Hi) showed great teamwork through their passing and playmaking ability.
Year 7J
Trinity demonstrated determination and grit as they battle against a higher-level Kings School team comprising of Gs and Hs players. Led by Zayne Helou (Fo) and Dylan Rattanasone (We) who kept the game competitive during the first half. Similarly, the contribution of Yuchan Lee (Ar), Ryan Zhang (Mu) and Xander Vaccarella (La) in all aspects of the game through defensive, passing and scoring allowed the 7Js to remain competitive throughout. Unfortunately, the 7Js fell short in the last ten minutes, as the Kings School side broke away.
Ben Morrissey | Director of Basketball
