WILMINGTON — Playing without three starters would be tough for any high school basketball team, but when the opponent is the caliber of the Dover Senators, the absences are even more of a factor.
That’s the situation Salesianum found itself in on Feb. 13 against Dover. Two starters were suspended following a postgame incident at Saint Mark’s last week, and a third was injured. The Sals, ranked fourth in the state by Delaware Live, also were without head coach Taylor Trevisan, who received a one-game ban from the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Dover, the second-ranked team, won the opening tap, sending the ball deep into its offensive end, where JayVion Denis caught up to it and laid it in. After the Sals tied the game, Istavan Norwood ended a short stretch of empty possessions for the Senators with a steal and score in transition, putting the visitors on top for good. They stretched the lead throughout the first, with Denim Perkins hitting the first of several three-point shots to help the Senators to a 17-10 lead after one.
The Sals were getting rebounds, but they had trouble making shots. On other possessions, the Senators tight pressure resulted in Sals turnovers and high-percenage shots for Dover.
A follow shot by James Laur pulled the Sals back to within seven at 19-12, but the Senators found the range from deep. Perkins nailed a turnaround three-pointer, then another triple his next trip down the floor. Dominic Downs drained a three from the corner to get half of those points back for the Sals, but Denis answered for the Senators. Denis then scored in transition following a steal, and a Dover blocked shot led to another three for Perkins. Perkins added a floater to cap a 16-3 run for Dover. They led by 13 at the half.
Isaiah Hynson, who had five points in the first half, got hot in the second. He scored 11 points in the third quarter, but the teams traded baskets the entire eight minutes, and the Sals could not get the deficit below 12. Dover scored the final six points of the quarter to take a commanding lead into the fourth.
Final statistics were not available Wednesday morning. Dover (15-2) heads to Milford on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The Sals (10-8) have their regular-season home finale on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. against Tower Hill.
Photos by Mike Lang.
