Stepinac Dispatches Scarsdale

With seemingly unparalleled and layered depth across the roster, Stepinac is one of the last teams in the country you want to take a breather on. One of the last teams you can afford to take a breather on, really. With their blend of imposing size, length, fluid transition attack, and wealth of scoring options, the Crusaders possess considerable weaponry capable of exploiting any opponent's lull in scoring and rattling off a game-altering run in a moment's notice.

And so it happened on Monday night, 18 minutes after Scarsdale's perimeter game. Early pressure vowed to keep the heavily anticipated matchup close and worthy of the price of admission. That's when Stepinac's explosive third quarter altered the trajectory of the game. The Crusaders erupted with a wild 13-2 spurt, seizing control en route to a thorough 80-54 before a sold-out crowd.

First, bulldozing 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward Jordan Gabriel floated into the lane for a putback to kick-start the onslaught. Several possessions later, Kentucky-signee Johnuel "Boogie" Fland bucketed an NBA range 3-pointer with 4:38 remaining in the quarter. Emergent mid-major recruit and 6-foot-7 Class of 2024 wing Braylan Ritvo scissored his way to the rim to cap the spurt. Just like that, Stepinac turned a slim lead into a commanding 45-31 bulge they would never come close to squandering.

Stepinac padded the lead in the fourth quarter, with Jasiah Jervis sticking a deep 3-pointer. Ritvo bee-lining his way to the rim for a crafty layup, and Big East recruit Danny Carbuccia leaking out for a transition bucket which capped the 7-0 surge and swelled the spread to 64-46.

Fland scored a game-best 23 points, illustrating the threat he poses for defenders. He added 10 rebounds, six assists, and two steals. With his shiftiness, pace-changing, and elusive one on one game, the highly lauded Class of 2024 point guard elicits headaches for anyone tasked with the chore of guarding him. Ritvo added 14 points and Jervis chimed in 11 points to go with 10 rebounds.

Scarsdale's Jake Sussberg entered the matchup with a growing, stout reputation as one of the area's knockdown shooters. Sussberg validated the buzz, scoring 15 points on the strength of five 3-pointers. The underrated, floor-spreading 6-foot-4 Sussberg detonated in the first half, sticking three consecutive 3-pointers as the Red Raiders stared down at an early 21-16 deficit. Carlos Rodriguez, who scored 17 points to pace Scarsdale, drilled a tape measure 3-pointer before the half closed.

The foundational, radiant tandem of Sussberg and Rodriguez showed promise. The two have the experience and the well-rounded scoring aptitude to pioneer Scarsdale back to the fabled floor at the Westchester County Center, with gold ball aspirations in sight. Even in a lopsided loss of this magnitude, Scarsdale's potential was glaring. Beyond Rodriguez and Sussberg, this team is fortified by depth and multi-positional scorers, including the hard-driving Daniel Hoey.

Hoey scored nine points and grabbed 10 boards on Monday night. Scarsdale trailed by just six at the half before Stepinac came alive during the aforementioned decisive third quarter burst