WESTWOOD — When Xaverian boys basketball (5-6) matched up with then undefeated Malden Catholic (11-2) for the first time this season on Jan. 6, the Hawks fell by over 30 points in what had been an up-and-down season to that point.
But just 17 days later, Xaverian is riding a three-game win streak, with the latest being one of the most impressive wins you’ll find this season. The Hawks defeated the very same Lancers who blew them out less than three weeks ago in a defensive battle, 51-49 on Friday night in Westwood.
“Our schedule early is brutal, and we’ve been close on so many of them, but we were going in the right direction,” Xaverian coach Brian Cerone said. “We felt good about this one. We’re at home. We’re tough at home, so I’m not surprised, but I’m psyched for the guys, because they needed one like this.”
After getting beat soundly by Malden Catholic just three weeks earlier, Cerone’s message to his Hawks was pretty simple. How often do you get to beat one of the better teams in the state?
“‘Guys, how many opportunities do you get to play the number one team in the state?’” Cerone said. “So now, you’re at home on a Friday night, playing the number one team in the state. Guys, you can’t get up for this, something’s going on, you know.”
Well the Hawks were in it from the jump, playing with an infectious defensive intensity and effort from the opening tip to the final buzzer that had the Lancers searching for answers they could never find. Xaverian held Malden Catholic to just 49 points, its lowest total of the season, and allowed just eight points in the fourth quarter.
“Obviously Malden Catholic is one of the most skilled teams in the state,” Xaverian senior forward Thacher Purdy said. “They have a great coaching staff. They run great sets. But we know if we’re gonna beat Malden Catholic, it’s got to be a game like that, 51-49, a rock fight.
“We knew we had to be physical. They got some big dudes over there.”
Purdy was a force on both ends of the floor on Friday, with thunderous blocks and a commanding paint presence that the Lancers never truly accounted for. The forward finished with a game-high 18 points, with eight of those coming in the third quarter.
“This is probably his fourth dominant game in a row,” Cerone said. “He’s been playing great, rebounding the heck out of the ball. I was screaming at the guys all game to throw him the ball in the first half, I thought we missed some opportunities. He probably could even had a bigger game, but definitely he’s playing awesome.”
Despite a subpar offensive performance, the Lancers still found themselves in the game entering the fourth quarter. Malden Catholic was finally able to find some points in the form of five triples in the third, but the Hawks tightened the screws as the game entered its final stages.
With 10 seconds remaining, Xaverian found itself up one and at the line to try and make it a two-point game. Sophomore guard Connor Larnard (12 points) sat as the only Hawk near the block, with the other three floating at midcourt in the hopes of one last defensive stand.
They wouldn’t need to make a stand just yet though. Larnard came flying through a group of Lancers, snagging the missed free throw and securing an offensive rebound to all but seal the game. It was a second effort that exemplified how the Hawks grinded it out all night.
“It’s funny because he came over and he said, ‘Do you want me in there?’ I said, ‘Yeah, get in there,’” Cerone said. “We were just gonna tag the rebound because I think there was 10 seconds left at that time, so we just wanted to take time off. But what a play by him. I don’t know if we win without that play.”
Larnard would split his pair of free throws, but his heroic rebound took enough time off the clock to force the Lancers into a last second heave that didn’t fall.
For the Hawks, they’ve been waiting for big moments like Friday night, and if they continue to play like they did against Malden Catholic, there could be plenty more big moments ahead.
“We’ve obviously been on a lot of roller coasters,” Purdy said. “We’ve lost a ton of close games. This year, I think we’ve only lost two games by more than 10. So we’ve been waiting to make these big plays in these big moments.”
Xaverian will look to make it four in a row on Tuesday when it takes on St. John’s Prep at 6:30 p.m. Malden Catholic will have a quick turn around to try and snap its losing streak as it takes on La Salle Academy on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
