Stevenson efficiently wins at Prospect

For running such a high-paced, high-scoring attack, Stevenson’s boys basketball team does an excellent job of taking care of the ball.

Prospect left a lot to be desired in that department, and that’s ultimately what let them down in Saturday night’s nonconference game at Jean Walker Fieldhouse.

The Patriots and Knights both shot exceptionally well, but Stevenson forced Prospect into 18 turnovers and committed just 2 of their own on their way to a 75-58 victory.

Stevenson (15-4) shot 49 percent (27-for-55) from the floor, including 10-for-18 from beyond the arc, while Prospect (12-8) shot 54 percent (21-for-39) and hit 9 of its 16 3-point attempts.

But the difference was the Patriots’ relentless pressure resulted in 15 steals, 4 each by sophomores Jalen Brunson and Connor Cashaw and 3 from junior Matthew Morrissey.

“They sped us up, and you’re not going to win any games giving a team 16 more shot attempts, especially with the way they were shooting,” said Prospect coach John Camardella.

Stevenson raced to a 10-0 lead thanks to a pair of early 3s from Morrissey, but Prospect hung tough thanks to junior guard Bobby Frasco, who drained 3 deep 3-pointers in the first quarter.

Ahead by 9 midway through the second quarter, the Patriots embarked on an 14-2 run to take a 44-23 lead with 1:27 left in the first half.

Brunson (23 points), Cashaw (17 points) and Andrew Stempel (11 points) provided all of the offense during the spurt.

“We sped up the game a little bit on them,” said Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose. “We made their ball handlers put it on the deck a little to try to create plays. And then a missed shot, maybe a tipped pass and we get a couple of run-outs. Just a lot of good plays by a lot of players.”

And Stevenson is perfectly fine running its half court offense, too. Stempel and Brunson each found Morrissey (20 points) for a 3-pointer open the second half as the Patriots led by 23 after three quarters.

“We can slow it down at times, too,” Brunson said. “There’s an equal balance, and that’s the key for us.”

Turnovers aside, the Knights played well. Frasco hit 5 3-pointers and scored 21 points while Devin O’Hara, Nick Lazarz, Kevin Kapka and Danny Mack hit 3-pointers as well. Mike Houghton was tough inside with 10 points and 6 rebounds.

“When we did actually get the ball around, we shot great,” Camardella said. “The problem was that a lot of times, we couldn’t get the ball entered. And that was all weekend.”