Glenelg Country Men's Basketball Defeats St. Mary's in Home Opener

In their first home game of the season, the Glenelg Country School Dragons men's basketball team came away with a decisive victory, beating the Saint Mary's Saints by more than 30 points. The Dragons are 2-0 on the season after their second straight win by more than 30. Using aggressive defense around the perimeter, exploiting size differences and shooting well from beyond the arc, the Dragons were able to build a comfortable lead prior to the 4th quarter, allowing younger players to get much needed experience late in the game.

Setting the pace early for the Dragons was number 32, junior forward Isaiah Miles. With two three-pointers and a leaping block from behind early in the first, Miles led the team to an early 10-point lead over the Saints that would grow steadily as the game went on. Sophomore forward Warren Powers also helped set the tone with a powerful dunk that brought the crowd to life and appeared to instill confidence and energy in teammates against a Saints team that was down but did not appear to let up.

The Saints found themselves in foul trouble early, committing eight team fouls with five minutes left in the first half, allowing the Dragons to pad their lead with free throws. However, the game did not appear out of reach at halftime, with a 27-18 score. "I told the team at halftime that they'd bend but not break" said Glenelg Country coach Kevin Quinlan of the Saints. "They're a very outstanding team, they're well coached and they believe in their principles," he added.

In the second half, Saint Mary's smaller size, speed and ball movement appeared to be an advantage for a short amount of time. However, the Dragons continued to shoot well from beyond the arc and play aggressive defense, allowing them build a 20-point lead late in the third quarter. Glenelg's Powers helped secure a large lead with nine consecutive points, including a 3-point play that gave the Dragons a 25 point advantage and put the game seemingly out of reach and forcing St. Mary's to bench their starters.

With most starters on the bench for both teams, the Dragons were able to give their reserve players needed experience and continue strong play. Coach Quinlan noted that his reserves did a great job of playing smart on defense and not letting up.

Though the Dragons earned a resounding win over a solid St. Mary's team, Quinlan noted that his team needs to work on several areas of their game. "We're impatient on offense, our spacing can get out of whack and we took some shots that aren't team shots," he said.  On defense, he said,  "Our silly fouling is something we need to clean up, in practice."

Dragons point guard Cesar Jove-Vives finished with 10 points, and Powers and Miles each finished with 18. The Dragons will be tested Sunday in a road game at St. Timothy's in Stevenson. The game will be St. Timothy's home opener.