US Outlasts St. Mark 39-29

University School won the opening tip and game three in the varsity gym of the Sunday slate was underway. 

A quick steal under the basket by Rodeen Totonchi would lead to a quick bucket in transition by Connor Klug, giving the Preppers the first points of the game. 

James Dessel would quickly respond with a fast break of his own, giving St. Mark their first points of the afternoon, tying the game up at two. 

The Prepper’s Jamal Little would cap off a very defensive quarter on both sides of the floor with a layup under the basket, and University School would be deadlocked at eight points with St. Mark after one.  

Jamal Little would cash in first in the second quarter for University Schools, scoring on a contested fast break layup giving the Preppers a 10-8 lead. 

Rocco Walton would respond immediately for St. Mark with a sweet mid range fadeaway notting the game back up even. On the very next possession for St. James Boylan would finish on a difficult right hand layup and draw a foul. Although Boylan didn’t convert the free throw, his bucket put St. Mark in front 12-8. 

James Dessel capped off the half with a right hand layup giving St. Mark a 17-14 lead headed into the rest. Dessel shined in the first half, scoring a game-high nine points. 

The second half would begin slowly offensively for both teams. With no points being scored in the first four minutes of the third quarter, the score remained 17-14 in favor of St. Mark. 

Finally, University Schools would strike first in the second half by way of a Rodeen Totonchi floater, cutting the St. Mark lead down to just one point. 

On the very next possession, St. Mark would get a bucket for the first time in the half thanks to Tom Schmidt, extending the St. Mark lead back up to three points. The lead would be short lived however, as on the following possession Connor Klug would hit a corner three for the Preppers tying the game even at 19 points with less than two minutes remaining in the quarter. 

A great move in the post by Tom Schmidt  would close out the scoring in the third quarter, with St. Marks leading 23-21. 

With 6:36 remaining in the game, St. Mark’s Drew Koch started off the scoring in the final frame with a three pointer from the top of the arc. Jamal Little of University Schools would waste no time responding by getting a fast break bucket on the other end. With 6:14 left, University Schools lead 27-24. 

Quick transition scores for the Preppers pushed their lead up to 32-29, and with 2:30 remaining, Nico Morelli nailed the game's possible dagger by way of a right wing three for extending the lead to six points, with University Schools leading 35-29. 

With 43 seconds remaining, a free throw made by Connor Klug, and a pair of free throws made by Brian Wheelock extended the Preppers lead to 38-29. 

University Schools outlasted St. Mark in a highly contested battle by a final score of 39-29.