After a strong finish in the Maranatha Tournament and close win over Culver City, the Cubs look to open the Bosco tournament with a win over local opponents Verbum Dei. The Cubs have superior size to their Jesuit counterparts and should look to dominate the game from the inside out.

Starting Five

PG - 6’3” Junior John Belardi

SG - 6’3” Senior Andre Parris

SF - 6’7” Junior Jack Kresich

PF - 6’8” Junior Remington Rofer

C - 6’7” Senior Colby Brooks

First Quarter

After winning the opening tip, the Cubs immediately attack the paint with a quick layup from Rofer. The Cubs then force a tough shot and find Rofer for a triple that extends the lead. A turnover and a Kresich three has The Verb calling a timeout just a minute and seven seconds into the game, following the 8-0 opening run from the Cubs. Out of the timeout, the Cubs play sloppy basketball, turning the ball over, but get bailed out when The Verb miss shots and Brooks hits free throws. Another Kresich three extends the lead to 13-0 before The Verb get two free throws to finally put points on the board. Rofer powers up inside for a three-point play. At 5:00, the Cubs foul their opponents again, giving up two points as a result. Kresich responds with a putback layup, and the Cubs lead 18-4. The Cubs move into a two-three zone, giving up a foul and forcing a substitution. Brooks goes on a personal 4-0 run before the Cubs give up back-to-back transition layups. Parris hits a fadeaway bank shot before Brooks gets an and-one layup. Roquemore, Tracy-Lindenbaum, Turner, and Suceveanu enter the game, opening with a Roquemore putback layup. The new lineup doesn’t score as fluidly, though Ferguson closes the quarter well with a mid-range jumper for two.

Score 30-8

Second Quarter

The quarter begins with Suceveanu drawing a triple team, earning a foul for his efforts. Tracy-Lindenbaum gets the offensive rebound off missed free throws, hitting the putback layup and scoring the first points of the quarter. Sloppy basketball results in a pair of turnovers for the Cubs, though The Verb prove extremely poor at taking advantage of opportunities. The Cubs return their starters, giving up a drive to the hoop immediately and continuing the trend of offensive inefficiency that has plagued the second quarter. Brooks gets himself a putback layup before a minor injury brings Roquemore back into the game to replace Brooks. The Cubs find Rofer inside, forcing a foul and converting one of two free throws. Roquemore gets a putback layup and Parris hits a bank shot, but the Cubs commit fouls on the other end to erase the run. Brooks seems to be the only Cub consistently scoring as he hits another layup. The Cubs give up another layup and struggle with the double team on the other end, giving the ball away far too easily. 

Score 41-16

Third Quarter

The second half opens with the Cubs forcing a three-point miss and finding Brooks for a three-point make on the other end. The Verb make a runner in the paint, but Parris responds with a putback layup. The Cubs follow up the possession by fouling on the defensive end but get their offense going with a Kresich layup. Continuing the bad fouling habit, the Cubs give up two more points on defense. The Cub offense is humming, though, as Parris finds Kresich for a reverse layup and Belardi finds Parris for another layup. The Verb continue to score easily, dropping in a transition layup. The Cubs seem to figure out how to beat the double team, finding Kresich for an easy layup and Brooks for a wing three. On the other end, The Verb hit consecutive corner threes and force a Cub foul, finishing with an 8-0 run. The Cub starters leave the game with 3:04 in the third, allowing Tracy-Lindenbaum to get a putback layup in transition. Turner beats the defense and dumps the ball in for another Tracy-Lindenbaum layup. Roquemore makes a hustle play for a block on the other end, leading to another Tracy-Lindenbaum layup. The Cubs end the half by forcing a missed three from the corner.

Score 63-30

Fourth Quarter

The final frame begins with Trent Turner taking the ball coast to coast for a bucket but not much more as the Cubs rotate to reach deeper into the bench. A beautiful pass from Green allows Cox to force a foul, giving the Cubs a point on the free throw. Beautiful ball movement ends with a Freeark three, sending the bench into a frenzy for the senior. The next few possessions end in Cub turnovers, but the ball movement returns and Green gets a three-point score. Jung comes in for Cox, and the Cubs find Trigger in the corner for a triple. The rest of the game goes by without much event as the Cubs run down the clock on offense.

Score 77-32