City of Basketball Love

Jason Guarente (@JasonGuarente)
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READING — It was over for Harold Ivery. The senior turned in his No. 25 jersey and turned his attention to baseball. For two weeks he focused on regaining muscle and refining his left-handed pitches.

Archbishop Carroll’s 6-foot-6 forward knew he was going to miss basketball. It was sad to think he played his last organized game.

Then, suddenly, it wasn’t over.

Martin Luther King backed out of the PIAA Tournament and Carroll was given the fifth spot out of District 12. The Patriots were thrown into the Class 4A field. They had another chance. 

“When I got the call that we were back, I was confused,” Ivery said. “I went and got my jersey and came back home. I had basketball in the morning and then I had to go to baseball practice. It’s hectic. It’s crazy.”

Things are going to stay that way for a bit longer. Carroll knocked off Berks Catholic 68-61 in the first round Tuesday night. 

It has been a bizarre few days for the Patriots, who last played on Feb. 16. The players reunited for practice on Friday and tried to recapture their form. It took some time.

“I’m not going to lie to you,” coach Francis Bowe said, “our first practice back was really rough. Just trying to get their legs back. Trying to get them to make the right decisions. I was pleasantly surprised with how we came out tonight.”

All of the rust faded away once the ball was tossed into the air at Wolf Gymnasium. It was like Carroll never had a break. The Patriots dismantled the District 3 champs through the first two quarters. They outscored Berks Catholic by 24 points during a 14-minute stretch and led by 19 at halftime.

Moses Hipps, the Patriots’ talented sophomore with Division I offers, scored Carroll’s first eight points on his way to a game-high 31. The Patriots made 13 of their 24 shots before intermission. They were rolling.

This performance made Bowe reconsider his preparation for the state tournament. There’s always a long layoff for Philadelphia Catholic League teams before their PIAA opener and it’s always a struggle to fill that time.

“In years past we would practice and practice,” Bowe said. “Then we would put up a goose egg. Maybe I’ve got to look at this and say, ‘Give them a week off. Maybe eight or nine days. Then kind of get back in the gym. It could be good for their legs.”

Berks Catholic (23-5) was six days removed from winning the District 3 tournament. The Saints beat Middletown by 23 points in the final. They’d only lost twice since Jan. 11 and both losses were against Reading, the defending Class 6A champ.

It took Berks Catholic too long to get going. The Saints trailed by 26 points late in the third quarter. They made a spirited run, cutting it to 60-54 with 2:47 left. A wide-open 3-pointer from Ryan Koch, who has 63 3s this season, could have tightened it even more. 

Carroll had to escape with guards Khair Dixon and Shawnn Smith fouled out. The Patriots found their footing and finished it off. 

“I knew a run was coming,” Bowe said. “I’ve been doing this too long. We’ve lost games on runs like that before. Kudos to that staff. They kept them engaged. They could have just folded and they didn’t. That just shows you how good that team is.”

Hipps shot 7-for-13 from the floor and 13-for-16 at the foul line. Dean Coleman-Newsome had 14 points and nine rebounds.

Smith threaded a perfect bounce pass to Ivery for a layup during the third quarter. The only seniors in Carroll’s starting lineup thought they were finished making those connections. They have a chance to make some more.

Ivery never got his No. 25 jersey back. He wore No. 23 for his game. That was fine with him. He was happy to have any jersey at all.

“This was fun,” said Ivery, who has committed to play baseball at Mansfield. “I’m playing with my teammates. There’s nothing better than that. I got back on the court. We came to a different territory. I’ve never been here before. And we beat them. It was a good feeling for me.”

Carroll (13-10) will face District 4 runner-up Athens Area, which defeated District 2 runner-up Mid Valley 42-40 Tuesday night. The Patriots, once one of many teams sitting at home, are now one of 16 still standing. 

As Bowe answered questions about a season returned to life, his scorekeeper walked past on the way to the bus. “House money, baby,” said Phil Eichinger, whose son Erik is an assistant coach. “Here we go.” If ever there was a team with nothing to lose, it’s Carroll.

Ivery doesn’t mind pulling double practice duty for a few more days. Or even weeks.

“We’re here now,” he said. “At this point we might as well go and win it all.”

By Quarter
Archbishop Carroll   16  |  21  |  21  |  10  ||  68
Berks Catholic           7   |  11  |  16  |  27  ||  61

Scoring
Archbishop Carroll: Moses Hipps 31, Dean Coleman-Newsome 14, Blake Deegan 8, Shawnn Smith 6, Seamus Rogers 5, Khair Dixon 2, Harold Ivery 2.

Berks Catholic: Josiah Jordan 21, Ryan Koch 18, Aidan Sands 11, Jack Miller 7, Tyler Givens 3, Kevin Lawlor 1.