City of Basketball Love

Justin Procope (@1Procope)
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Although it was the first meeting of the season between the two teams, the matchup against Archbishop Carroll felt strangely familiar to Saint Joseph’s Prep. In many ways, the Hawks saw themselves.

“That’s what we talked about in film all week, how we used to be them,” SJP senior guard Jalen Harper said. “Young, inexperienced, but we brought that experience today.”

That they did. 

A youthful Carroll squad was simply outgunned and outmatched as Prep rolled to a 84-63 home victory.

In past seasons, Prep was known as the up-and-coming squad armed with some of the best guards the city has to offer. Now juniors and seniors, the guard quartet of Harper, Jaron Mckie, Olin Chamberlain, and Jordan Ellerbee are no longer up and coming, they are here. 

The win Monday night marks the Hawks’ (8-2) seventh in a row and moves them to 3-0 in league play. Monday’s victory comes off the heels of back-to-back impressive wins in close games against Archbishop Ryan and LaSalle College High School. Prep knows all too well what it’s like to be on the wrong side of those types of games, but now its finding ways to win and putting away teams how an experienced side should.

“Those heartbreak losses aren't gonna happen anymore,” Mckie said. “Through experience we know how to close games now, so I feel like we're prepared for those moments.”

In what turned into an “everybody eats” type of game for Prep with all five starters in double figures, Harper and Mckie were the standouts. Harper finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists in one of his best all around performances of the season. His athleticism crashing the glass and in transition combined with his ability to knock down the three (two on the night) overwhelmed Carroll all night, as they had no answer for the 6-foot-3 guard. 

Mckie, who holds offers from Temple and Penn, finished with 17 points thanks to his silky shot from deep, draining five triples on the night. Chamberlain finished with 14 points and four assists, senior Matt Gorman with 13 and Ellerbee with 10. 

Carroll (7-5, 0-3 PCL), which is currently without freshman Munir Grieg, jumped out to a lead in the first minutes of the contest behind the stellar play of sophomore guard Ian Williams. Williams finished with a game-high 23 points and a handful of assists as he gave Prep fits all night, carving up their zone with his change-of-pace dribble drives and creative finishes. Patriots 6-4 sophomore Luca Foster also chipped in with 17 points, highlighted by a thunderous dunk in transition when the game was out of reach. 

“It’s crazy seeing them because they have so much potential, they’re going to be a great team one day,” Mckie said. 

Despite Carroll’s efforts, once Prep’s offense ignited it never looked back. Prep poured in eleven threes in the first half on its way to a 16-point lead heading into the locker room. 

Carroll had some success coming out of the break by pressuring Prep’s guards fullcourt and forcing turnovers. They brought the lead back down to 12 midway through the third quarter before Prep tightened their grip on the game for good. After a Mckie three stretched the lead to 23, the largest of the night with three mins to play, the Hawks emptied their bench. 

It was another all around team victory on both ends, something that has become a staple of this group. 

“I think that's the identity of our team really,” Harper said. “Anybody can lead the team in scoring any game. If somebody's hot or somebody's off, we can always find another guy to lead us.”

That unpredictability in attack and skill everywhere you look has turned potential into expectations. Though Mckie says “sky’s the limit” for this group, he understands that they still have a long way to go if they want to reach their goals. 

“Everybody's spirits are high, but we can't, can't let that get too much,” Mckie said. “We still have a very tough schedule up ahead and we have to focus.”

That spirit and excitement was felt all the way to the final whistle, as everybody was up and cheering as KJ Towns got his first points of the night on a pair of free throws in garbage time. Post game there was music, celebrations, and laughter were spilling out of the locker room into the hallways. 

“I think we’re all just happy,” Harper said. “We become more of a family every day and just get closer every time we win. it just brings a lot of energy in the locker room.”

Prep will hope to keep that momentum rolling in the league as they take on Bonner-Prendergast Friday night at Kelly Fieldhouse. 

Scoring

St Joseph’s Prep: Jalen Harper 19, Jaron Mckie 17, Olin Chamberlain 14, Matt Gorman 13, Jordan Ellerbee 10, Will Lesovitz 5, Jackson Maguire 2, KJ Towns 2, Liam O’Connor 2

Archbishop Carroll: Ian Williams 23, Luca Foster 17, Nassir Ralls 12, Darrell Davis 8, Drew Corrao 3