WILMINGTON — The first made basket of Salesianum’s 2023-24 basketball season was a two-handed stuff by Justin Hinds, yet the jam-packed student section looked on impassively. Midway through the first, Hinds sent a pass to R.J. Johnson in three-point territory, and Johnson’s jumper swished through, giving the home team a 9-3 lead.
Cue the noise.
It was Silent Night, the annual fundraising tradition where the students don’t make a sound until the Sals score their seventh point. Once Johnson hit that triple, the students kept it up all night, and they were treated to a 68-56 win over La Salle College High School, down from Wyndmoor, Pa.
Much of the roster from last year’s state champion has returned, and in the first quarter, all of the scoring came from returnees. Along with Johnson’s three, Hinds and Zach Swartout each had four, and Isaiah Hynson added two.
Many of those 13 first-quarter points came about as a result of a swarming defense that caused several Explorers turnovers.
Neither team could do anything in the first minute and change of the second, but George Nelson introduced himself to the sellout crowd with a three-pointer that pushed the lead to 16-7. But La Salle roared back, getting an old-fashioned three-point play from Joey Shields, then a three and a two from Nicholas Parisi to get to within a point.
The Sals answered with a bang. Hinds hit from distance, then added a twisting shot from in close. Nelson drained another three, and Johnson went end to end with a rebound to close out a 10-0 Salesianum run. Grayson McKeogh ended the streak for the Explorers, but they trailed by 10 at the half.
La Salle opened the second half by scoring seven of the first nine points, but Hinds got the students back in full voice with a corner three. It was the first of four three-pointers in the third for the Sals, who clamped down defensively after the Explorers’ initial surge.
The lead was 15 heading into the final quarter, but the Explorers heated up from deep to get the deficit to seven at 57-50 with four minutes on the clock. Any nervousness in Father Birkenheuer Gymnasium dissipated when another Hinds three got the advantage back to double digits shortly thereafter.
Unofficially, Hinds led three Sals in double figure with 23 points, joined by Hynson with 14 and Nelson with 12. Salesianum hit 10 three-pointers. The Sals (1-0) take on Philadelphia Catholic League power Neumann-Goretti on Sunday at 3:45 p.m. at Widener University in Chester as part of a Play by Play showcase.
All photos by Mike Lang.
