Boys Basketball: Strong Second Half Lifts Knights over Thunderbolts

Central High School's boys basketball team traveled to Cranston East on Friday night. Throughout the first half, there was a ton of offense and some sloppiness on both sides of the ball. Both teams seemed to have their way offensively, but the Knights pulled away in the second half and won 85-63.

The Thunderbolts began the game with a small lead, as Pat Marchand dished it to junior Chris Kpahn who finished the play with a layup, increasing the lead to 9-4.

Kpahn made two sensational defensive plays in the next few minutes. He recorded two blocks, chase down blocks, preventing two easy layups.

Marchand and Kpahn were a focal point of the Bolts offense in the first half, as they scored the first 15 points of the game. However, the game would change when Kpahn was forced to exit the game after picking up his third foul.

"They did a great job with their big guy and I felt he should have gotten more touches," Todd Keefe, Central's coach, said.

The Knights went on a 7-0 run, capped by a three pointer by senior Danny Mendez, taking their first lead of the game at 19-17 with just under seven minutes left in the first half.

East continued to battle and senior Albert DeRobbio's three pointer put them ahead 27-25 with five and a half left in the half. However, Central took control of the game over the next few minutes.

The Knights went on a 12-1 run, grabbing a 37-28 lead. Mendez led the charge, scoring seven, of his 19, points during the run, including a deep three pointer and a coast to coast driving layup. Central headed into the halftime break leading 39-31.

Cranston East would not give up and continued to battle. After trailing by 13 early in the second half, Marchand's layup cut their deficit to 48-40.

Knights senior Jarrell Lawson was an offensive force all night long. On the next two possessions he hit consecutive three pointers, pushing the lead to 54-42. Lawson finished with a game high 31 points.

A reverse layup by DeRobbio brought the Bolts to within 11 points, trailing 60-49, with about eight and a half minutes remaining in the game.

The Knights put the game away and took a commanding 72-50 lead, with a 12-1 run over the next three minutes. Central forced several turnovers and got in the open court, creating many easy baskets.

"We rely on our speed and my guys want to push the tempo and run," Keefe added.

"We could have cut them off in transition better tonight," East's coach, Bill Coughlin, said.

The two teams traded baskets the rest of the game, with the Bolts never making a serious charge to cut into the lead. Central cruised to the 85-63 victory. Marchand led East with 22 points and DeRobbio finished with 20.

"We have pieces but we have to put it together and become a team," Coughlin said, "Central is very well coached and they play hard."