Dialog reporter
WILMINGTON – Salesianum established an early lead in its basketball game against Mount Pleasant on Feb. 13, and each time the Green Knights appeared to be ready to take over, the Sals came up with a big play in a 50-45 win. It was their sixth win in the last seven games.
Paul Brown led the way for the Sals with 21 points, with 13 of those coming in the first half, which ended with Salesianum holding a 30-24 lead. Brown opened the third quarter with another hard-earned hoop, extending the lead to eight, but Mount, which came into the game at 13-3, was far from out of it.
Fah’Mir Ali and Timothy Pittman responded with hoops, and after Brown struck again, Douglas Sneh completed an old-fashioned three to bring the Green Knights within three at 34-31. The teams remained even throughout the balance of the third quarter, and the Sals had a 41-37 advantage as the final eight minutes began.
Jack Brown opened the scoring for the Sals in the fourth with a three-pointer, and the home team threatened to put the game away as Mount went two and a half minutes without scoring. The lead was five after Brown scored on an eight-foot jumper, but Ali trimmed that by two after a steal and a transition layup. After a Salesianum turnover, Pittman scored a second-chance bucket, and all of a sudden the score was 46-45.
That would be the Green Knights’ last points, however. The Sals got a big boost when Mike Wallace scored on a layup with a minute to go, and Jack Brown converted two free throws in the final seconds to seal the win.
The teams came out firing in the first quarter. Paul Brown did a lot of the damage for the Sals. He scored consecutively on soft baby hook shots, then fed Darnell Vaughan inside for a field goal. After a Mount hoop, Brown grabbed a rebound of a shot missed by his brother and put it in. He completed the Sals’ scoring in the first with a three-pointer.
The hosts’ lead grew as large as eight points in the second. Brett Henshey provided a spark off the bench for Salesianum, scoring all six of his points during that stanza.
The Sals (11-5) hit the road on Thursday for a game at nearby Wilmington Friends at 7 p.m. They are home Saturday night against Sussex Tech at 7:30 on Senior Night.
Ali was one of three Green Knights in double figures, finishing with 14. Sneh had 11 and Pittman 10. Mount, which fell to 13-4, closes out its regular season next Tuesday at home against Middletown at 5:45 p.m. on Senior Night.
