St. Anthony's boys basketball uses second-half rally to beat St. John's Prep
James Taylor Jr. #1 of St. Anthony's scores off a fast break during a non-league boys basketball game on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. Credit: James Escher
Wednesday’s home opener was just one December game of a long season ahead for the St. Anthony’s boys basketball team, coach Sal Lagano noted.
But the way the Friars pulled out a 56-52 non-league victory over previously undefeated St. John’s Prep put their resilience on display.
St. Anthony’s, which trailed for all but 39 seconds in the first half and the first 5:31 of the third quarter, was behind 48-43 with 5:52 to play. The Friars used an 8-0 run to take a three-point lead, which they never surrendered, with 3:34 left.
“You never know how good a team can be until they’re losing, and even after they lose,” Lagano said.
Nursing a 55-52 lead with 8.9 seconds left, 6-2 senior James Taylor Jr. pulled down a defensive rebound and was immediately fouled. After Taylor missed the first free throw, St. John’s Prep called a timeout.
“He tried to ice me,” Taylor said. “I knew it was happening, but it’s part of basketball … I just knew I had to hit it.”
Taylor made the second free throw, putting the finishing touches on the come-from-behind win.
Nick Vieux had 12 points to pace St. Anthony’s (4-0). Taylor had 11 points and 13 rebounds, Connor Mannix had 11 points and 10 rebounds and Kevin Moore had 11 points.
“A lot of these guys are veterans coming back,” Lagano said. “The chemistry is great. They play together. They didn’t put their heads down. Maybe a year ago or two years ago, they might have put their heads down. I never saw their heads go down. It was great.”
Daquan Bryant had 16 points for St. John’s Prep (7-1).
Jacob Gomez’s reverse layup extended the Red Storm’s lead to 39-32 with 4:21 left in the third quarter. St. Anthony’s responded with a 9-0 run that featured a momentum-changing steal and layup by Vieux to tie it at 39 with 2:29 left in the third quarter.
“I just feel like we really started trusting each other more,” Vieux said. “Swinging the ball, getting our offense going. And our defense was just so much better in the second half.”
St. John’s carried a 44-41 edge into the fourth quarter, but the Friars’ defensive intensity turned the tide. St. Anthony’s allowed eight fourth-quarter points and just two in the final 3:17.
“I feel like it really builds character,” Taylor said. “Coming into this game, our offense wasn’t really hitting. We weren’t hitting shots. That’s what we’re mainly known for doing, hitting shots.
“We just kept digging, and we got there.”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
