St. Joseph Charges Into Class LL Boys Basketball State Final With 62-42 Rout Of Glastonbury

After winning their first state semifinal in a decade, the players high-fived each other and lined up in single-file to shake hands with the opposing team just like any game, but this was no ordinary game.  

The Cadets used a workman-like approach to defeat Glastonbury, 62-42, in the Class LL semifinals Tuesday night at the New Haven Athletic Center and advance to their first final since 2001.

The Cadets will play for their 1oth title on Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena against old rival Fairfield Prep, which held off Ridgefield 60-55 in the other semifinal.

“I love these kids," said St. Joseph coach Vito Montelli, who will be in his 16th final. "They’re great kids. They really wanted this all year, so we got a chance now. Believe me when I tell you, how hard they work and how much they want this. Last year we came close and didn’t get it.”

According to Montelli, the Cadets and Jesuits haven't played in more than 20 years. Fairfield Prep reached its first state final since 1997. 

“That used to be one of the greatest rivalries ever. … two teams that are about seven or eight miles apart,” Montelli said. “It’s unbelievable.”

James Jennings scored 14 points, hitting three 3-pointers, to pace a balanced attack for St. Joseph.

Timajh Parker added 11, Brandon Jones 10 and Jake Fulton had nine. Frank Massey chipped with eight points off the bench for the Cadets (22-2).

“It feels amazing,” Fulton said. “This is such a great group of guys, it feels really good to just finally get there.”

Nico Donato was the lone Tomahawk in double-figures, finishing with 13 points.

The game started evenly for the two teams with St. Joseph holding a 7-6 lead midway through the first quarter. That’s when Jennings nailed his second 3-pointer of the quarter, and the Cadets went on a 10-1 run to take a 17-7 lead after the first.

 St. Joseph used its full-court press and zone defense to stifle the Tomahawks' offense and force them to miss shots. The Cadets benefitted from their misfortunes, turning Glastonbury misses into points.

“It’s always good to get off to a good start when you have a bundle of nerves like the kids had," Montelli said. "They’re human beings. No matter how many times you get there, you have the butterflies.”

St. Joseph's defensive prowess continued into the second quarter, when centr Patrick Hopkins closed off the lane for the Tomahawks, forcing perimeter jumpers which Glastonbury failed to make.

Offensively, the Cadets continued their mastery, never leading by less than nine points.

“We’re not familiar with this court,  so getting defensive stops and getting out in transition and getting easy baskets was really important for us,” Fulton said.

The trend continued into the second half, when the Cadets preyed on Glastonbury’s missed shots and bad passes to extend their to 14 after three and later by 20 at game’s end.

In addition to the opportunistic offense, St. Joseph's defense continued to turn steals into layups. The Cadets also dominated glass offensively and defensively, keeping the possession arrow in their favor.

In true workman-like fashion, no Cadet scored more than 10 points in the second half. Parker led with eight, Fulton had seven and Jennings added six.

“None of us are looking to be the superstar,” Fulton said. “We’re just trying to get wins, look out for each other, stick together and get the W.”

With just over two minutes left, Parker drove hard on the baseline and went up for a thunderous dunk, followed by two Jennings foul shots on the next possession to give the Cadets a comfortable 59-39 lead. For the final two minutes, the backups closed out the game.

Now Fairfield Prep stands as the Cadets' last obstacle in their run for a 10th state.

“We played them a lot in the summer time,” Jennings said. “We know they’re a lot better of team over the course of the season. We’re going to just go into that game and play hard and hope we get the 'W'.”