WILMINGTON – Old friends got together on Feb. 7 when Saint Mark’s visited Salesianum for their annual basketball matchup. This year, in front of a raucous sellout crowd at Father Birkenheuer Gymnasium, the Sals used a big second quarter to take the lead, then resisted the Spartans’ comeback attempts in a 67-60 decision.
The hot-shooting Khalil Kemp had eight points in the first quarter, including two three-pointers, as the Spartans opened up an early 13-6 lead. But the Sals got back into it, getting a three-pointer from R.J. Johnson for the final points of the first. That cut the Saint Mark’s lead to 13-11.
The Sals’ Kevin Coleman began a busy second quarter by tying the game, and an old-fashioned three-point play from Johnson extended the Salesianum run to 10 points and gave the hosts the lead. Dylan Bromwell hit a free throw for the Spartans to end the Sals’ run, but Johnson followed that with another three.
Johnson would hit two more triples in the second, and Coleman did a lot of damage driving to the basket. Mike Friend helped keep the Spartans close, scoring 12 points in the quarter, matching Coleman’s total. The final 30 seconds of the half featured those two. Coleman scored on an alley-oop, only to see Friend rush the ball down court and spin a left-handed scoop shot off the glass and in. Friend then stole the inbounds pass and scored with the right hand, but Coleman rushed the other way and scored again for the Sals.
The fever pace continued into the second half, but the scoring cooled. After the first field goal of the half, the Sals opened up their biggest lead of the evening at 12 points, but Saint Mark’s patiently pared it down. A baseline runner from Kemp made the score 53-48, but the Sals made eight of 10 free throws in the final quarter to get the win.
Johnson led the Sals with 23 points, including four threes. Coleman ended up with 21. Salesianum (5-11) is on the road on Sunday for a 3 p.m. tip at Odessa, the first of three straight away from home.
For the Spartans, Kemp had 18 points, while Friend had 14 and Bromwell 13, including four triples. Saint Mark’s fell to 11-4. The Spartans also play on Super Bowl Sunday with a 12:30 p.m. tip at St. Elizabeth.
Photos by Mike Lang.
