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Zoned out: Central's defense creates runaway win

Monday, February, 21 By Chuck Frye
Staff writer

LAWRENCE — The Bangles might have been big fans of Manic Mondays, but Central Catholic couldn’t have been happier to get its game with Lynn English last night under control.

Playing for the TD Bank/IAABO Board 130 Classic title, the frenetic style of the visiting Bulldogs was infectious for the Raiders, but not in a good way.

Only when Central installed a 2-3 zone defense for the first time this season did the game turn around. Limiting possessions to one shot, fast-breaking with precision, breaking down a desperate English defense when they didn’t run ... the Raiders seemingly did everything right in a runaway second half that turned a one-point lead into an 88-62 blowout victory.

“It’s something we have to use to throw teams some different looks,” said Central head coach Rick Nault. “I thought the zone was the difference from the second quarter to the third quarter.”

Trailing by eight going into the second quarter, English used some superb athleticism from Travonne Berry-Rogers (team-high 16 points) and guard Freddy Hogan to take the lead. When Hogan (two steals and two assists in the first half) swiped a Central pass midway through the quarter and fed Berry-Rogers for a spinning layup, the Bulldogs took their largest lead of the night, 31-26, capping a 17-4 run and forcing Nault to use a timeout.

Sub Doug Gemmel (11 points and 9 boards, six on the offensive end) hit his only two shots of the quarter. A give-and-go from Connor Perry and a pick-and-pop 3-ball fed by Jaycob Morales (8 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals) led Central to a 38-37 lead at the break, but the real damage was yet to come.

In the second half, everything fell into place for the Raiders. Their zone defense made an aggressive, mobile English offense suddenly passive and unproductive. Limiting the Bulldogs to one shot per possession took away the effectiveness of English’s press, allowing Central to fast-break with reckless abandon.

Breaking out of a cold streak in the process, senior Evan Sheehan hit a layup and a pair of 3-pointers from the right corner to get Central on top by 11 and start the rout.

“We were motivated the whole tourney to keep our home winning streak alive,” said Sheehan, who finished with 21 points on 8 of 12 shooting including 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. “I knew (the zone) would work, I just didn’t know it would be that important. It turned the game around.”

Freed from his role at midcourt helping break English’s press, Jimmy Zenevitch became a living Sportscenter highlight reel. Muscling his way for a putback and conventional three-point play, draining a 3, throwing down a pair of huge dunks, Zenevitch exploded for a game-high 22 points, hitting 8 of his 16 shots, and pulling down eight rebounds.

And when Sheehan took a kickout pass from Morales and drained his last 3 from the top of the key with four minutes left for a 25-point advantage, the game was over.

“This whole tourney was great,” Sheehan concluded. “Fitchburg (Central’s victim in the opening round) beat St. John’s of Shrewsbury, who we played in the state championship last year. It’s good to play these good teams because these are the teams you’re going to see at the end of the tournament. It’s great experience to play teams like Lynn English. There’s nothing better.”