City of Basketball Love

Will Slover (@WillSlover31)
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Archbishop Ryan head coach Joe Zeglinski knows it’s always “just a matter of time” for his senior slasher Izaiah Brockington.

That’s why, when the 6-foot-4 guard got off to a slow start in Thursday night’s PIAA 6A second round contest against Central Dauphin East, Zeglinski had no worries heading into the half.

“He got off to a bit of a slow start,” Zeglinski said. “He started settling in the first half and then after halftime he just kept attacking the rim and sooner or later the defense was going to break down for him because he’s so fast and gets to the rim and finishes so well. It was just a matter of time.”

Once Brockington got his game going, the NJIT commit took over and exploded for 27 points on his way to leading his Raiders to a 71-66 victory over CD East and with the win, Ryan earned a spot in the PIAA 6A quarterfinals, which will take place on Saturday night.

After scoring just nine of those points in the first half on 2-of-8 shooting, Brockington knew that as a senior captain, he had to take over and get things going for Archbishop Ryan as it held a slim 31-29 lead at the break.

“The team and the coaches just told me to stay aggressive and as a leader, I had to know when to be aggressive and when not to be,” Brockington said. “I had to know the times when my team needed me so I just had to feel that out and it worked out.”

Brockington didn’t win this game on his own though, as the help of his other three fellow senior captains in the starting lineup helped Ryan overcome a tough Central Dauphin East squad who had a response for every time the Raiders began to create some separation.

“The captains, having the four seniors in the starting lineup is definitely helpful in terms of having poise in these big moments,” Brockington said. “We have to have poise and we have to bring each other together. When things get tough, we can’t just start pointing fingers and blaming others. We have to hold each other accountable. We have to stay calm and stick to the game plan and do what we do best.”

Chris Palantino, Fred Taylor and Matiss Kulackovskis are those other three seniors, and each had a huge impact on Ryan’s triumph.

But none more so than Kulackovskis.

When Brockington was down in the first half, it was Kulackovskis who picked up his slack as the 6-foot-9 Bowling Green pledge cashed in for 17 first-half points on his way to finishing with 20 on the game.

Kulackovskis’ unique ability to stretch the floor and handle the ball, along with his great size, was something that Zeglinski planned to take advantage of on Thursday night.

“I knew we had a good matchup with Matiss. I knew we could use his size down low and also bring him out on the perimeter,” Zeglinski said. “I thought that was going to be a tough guard for them and it usually is with Matiss being a stretch four who can put the ball on the floor. We definitely had some sets for him early to get him going and it worked out well tonight.”

“Coach tells me every time to just attack and shoot and to just be aggressive and strong,” Kulackovskis added. “I think I set the tone for the other guys. In the first half, it was me and in the second half, Izaiah took over and we won the game.”

While Brockington and Kulackovskis were the stars of Thursday night, the rest of Ryan’s team also had their say in the squad’s win.

Palantino added in seven points and Taylor chipped in with another four and reeled in thirteen rebounds while sophomore Amin Bryant scored seven points and grabbed six boards.

Leading the way for Central Dauphin East was a trio of seniors as Evan Chandler poured in a game-high 28 points while Brennen Jackson (12 points, eight rebounds) and Jordan Gillis (nine points, five rebounds) each made their presence felt as well.

Up next for Archbishop Ryan on Saturday the 6A classification’s version of the “Elite Eight,” is Hempfield, which topped Williamsport by a score of 49-45 on Thursday night.

The run Ryan is making is a historic one, as in the school’s first time making the state tournament, it finds itself just two wins away from playing in the PIAA 6A title game.

“It’s great. The school is behind us. The kids are really excited and I’m happy for them. The first time our school has been to states and we get to the Elite Eight,” Zeglinksi said. “We have a chance to keep going on Saturday night and that’s what we’re preaching.”

If Brockington and Co. continue to play like they did in Thursday’s win, that chance to keep going looks like a good one for the Raiders of Archbishop Ryan.

“We’re going to be tough to be a tough team to be if all of our five and some of our bench guys are ready to go,” Zeglinski said. “We’re going to be a really tough team to beat.”