WILMINGTON – Saint Mark’s and Conrad played like two teams trying to beat the impending snow when they met in boys basketball on the afternoon of Jan. 11. The host Red Wolves used a smothering defense and a nicely timed 9-0 run to race past the Spartans, 55-48, inside an energetic Wolves Den.
Saint Mark’s led, 17-13, after a quarter thanks to the strong inside play of Max Batten. He scored seven points in the opening eight minutes, and each of the other four starters also got on the scoreboard. Conrad stayed close thanks to its long-distance shooting, as Vincent Starr had a pair of three-pointers, and Shane Lopez added another.
Batten scored the first five points for Saint Mark’s in the second quarter, but the scoring slowed for both teams as the turnovers piled up. The Red Wolves threw half-court pressure at Saint Mark’s all afternoon, and neither team could find a groove offensively. Jordan Kennedy had six points for the Red Wolves in the second, including two on a layup after a steal that put Conrad in front, 27-26. The Spartans briefly retook the lead, but Kennedy connected on an unlikely shot as he spun through the land, giving Conrad a one-point advantage at the break.
Dylan Bromwell tied the game with a free throw early in the third, but Lopez scored the next five points on a corner three, followed by an acrobatic layup. The Spartans were able to shake off the Red Wolves’ pressure on two occasions over the next few minutes, getting a pair of Bromwell triples, the second of which staked Saint Mark’s to a 35-34 lead.
Starr answered that immediately with one of his own, beginning the 9-0 run that would give the Red Wolves the lead for good. Kennedy had two field goals as Conrad took advantage of some Saint Mark’s miscues, and Lopez ended the run with a short jumper in the final minute of the third. The Red Wolves’ lead was six heading into the fourth following two Batten free throws that ended the run.
Saint Mark’s pulled to within two points several times in the fourth, the last time when Tariq Warner rebounded his own miss and scored to make it 50-48 Red Wolves with under a minute to go. The Spartans had an opportunity to tie when Conrad missed a free throw, but their shot would not fall. The Red Wolves added four free throws down the stretch to create some space.
Lopez led three Red Wolves in double figures with 15. Kennedy had 14, and Starr added 12. Conrad (14-3), winners of 10 straight, host Delaware Military on Thursday at 6 p.m.
For the Spartans, Batten had 19 points. Saint Mark’s (11-6) plays its home regular-season finale on Thursday at 7:15 p.m. against Wilmington Christian.
Photos by Mike Lang.
