Clippers Buzz Cut Msgr. Scanlan

BRONX, NY- It may not have always been the prettiest game but consistently this season Xaverian just finds a way to get things done, and led by the game high 25 points of guard Nick Folk '21 it was the Clippers jumping out to an early lead and never looking back in defeating Msgr. Scanlan on Sunday evening, 64-52.

After a back and forth start that saw Scanlan take a 10-9 lead with 2:54 left to go in the opening quarter, it was the Clippers who went on a three-point shooting barrage.

Paced by Folk who hit 4 three's during a 5 minute span from late in the first, and early into the second quarter it was Xaverian who blew the game wide open on the back of a 23-2 run that saw the Clippers of from down 1 to up 32-12 with 5:19 left in the first half.

The long ball was Xaverian's friend during that stretch as they knocked down 7 three's in a short span to take control, with Clippers head coach Clyde Chapman understanding that when the team has it going like that from behind the arc that he has no issues just having his group letting it fly.

"We have some really good shooters and they put in the work so I tell them that if they find each other and they get it off of dribble penetration or by good ball movement that we got to knock it down with confidence and we certainly were doing that today early on," Chapman stated.

Folk himself outscored Msgr. Scanlan in the first quarter 16-12, and while Koby Brea '20 began to find a rhythm with the Crusaders wing hitting his team's first triple of the game with 2:24 left in the half it was still Xaverian, even after cooling down a bit, holding a 40-23 lead going into halftime.

Most of the talk in the Scanlan gym at the half was about the Xaverian offense, but for Chapman he was more interested in what his team was doing on the defensive side. He was extremely pleased in holding the Crusaders to just 23 first half points, believing that when his team buckles down on defense that's when his Clippers team becomes very difficult to beat.

"We are a defensive minded team so while we scored those points, we want to hold teams under 50 points," Chapman explained. "So, if we can score 51 I always say we will be good."

With the long range shots in the second half not falling the way they did in the first half it was going to be the defense that would carry Xaverian home as the Clippers contended on the perimeter extremely well and did an excellent job containing the post as well. Rodney Bailey '20 had a strong second half for Scanlan in scoring 13 of his team high 17 points for the Crusaders, and while they narrowed the deficit on a couple occasions to 10, that was as close as the Bronx school would get.

A couple of timely putbacks inside from Elijah Hardison '20 and Jaden Pena '21 proved critical as well inside for Xaverian to stem the tide as with Folk's 25 points leading the way it was the Clippers moving to 10-1 on the season after an impressive 64-52 victory on Sunday over the hosts from Msgr. Scanlan.

Winning on offense and winning on defense, Xaverian did everything necessary to leave the Crusaders gym with the win as they continue to sit atop the standings in the CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Diocese, and while Folk was excited to get the win on Sunday he is already focused and ready for the next task at hand as the Clippers look to maintain themselves as among the best New York City has to offer.

"This one means a lot because it was a statement game for us to come on the road to the Bronx to show what we can do," Folk said. "It's a good win but we got another big one on Tuesday and we are gonna get back in the lab and just keep it going."