Clippers start season with romp

BROOKLYN, NY - The school year is in full swing, the air is getting chilly, football season is winding down, so now it's time for basketball.

Xaverian tipped off their season last night and after leading by nine at the end of the first period, the Clippers outscored Banneker 26-4 in the second quarter and dominated the rest of the way for an easy 75-41 win.

Xaverian led 21-12 going into the second quarter and then things just started to click. They were led by Brian Bernardi and Dillon Burns, who both scored 13 points in the first half. Bernardi stole a pass and finished with a soft lay-up to end his scoring with just under 5 minutes left in the half. Then it was Burns turn to put his stamp on the game.

Burns pushed the ball up the floor after Banneker missed a shot and then hit a pull-up jumper. Then he picked the pocket of a Banneker guard and finished with a soft layup of his own. On another possession Burns found Shakeel Kemp with a sharp assist to the paint. That score made it 40-16 and Xaverian finished the half on top 47-16.

There really wasn't much else for Xaverian to do except play another 16 minutes. It didn't seem that Banneker would be able to mount much of a comeback. Unfortunately for the PSAL Brooklyn A team, they were too small to compete with a bigger Xaverian team. Ironically, Xaverian isn't a big squad themselves. They probably will be one of the smallest teams in the Catholic league. It will be interesting to see how they play when they are matched against a more athletic opponent.

Burns really made his presence felt in the third quarter, scoring 9 of the teams 14 points in the period. He opened the second half with a three-pointer from the left elbow. He ended the scoring with another trey from the same spot. In between those two long range field goals, Burns went 3 for 4 from the charity stripe. Despite the low point output, they still increased their lead by three points.

Bernardi missed a couple of runners but finally hit a jumper the possession before Burns hit his second three. Bernardi, who signed with SMU for a free ride, didn't have to do much because his team was so far ahead. When the fourth quarter started Bernardi and Burns were on the bench. That's where they stayed until the final buzzer.

Burns led the team with a game high 22 points, while Bernardi finished with 15. Banneker was led by Malachi West who scored 16.

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