Vasturia’s output not for naught this time

Last season, Steve Vasturia fell just short of being the hero when St. Joseph's Prep visited La Salle. The freshman's 24-point effort, which included four three-pointers, was wasted when Joe Brown's layup with 3.9 seconds to play gave the hosts a 47-45 win.

On Monday, back in Wyndmoor, not even a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit could stop Vasturia and the Hawks from winning a taut Catholic League contest.

With the 6-foot-3, 175-pound combination guard producing 14 of his game-high 22 points in the final seven minutes, the Prep rallied for a thrilling 52-49 victory.

"There's always a good energy here," Vasturia said afterward. "It was a packed house, with the fans really into the game. It makes you play that much harder."

The Explorers led, 37-23, on Mike Poncia's three-point play with 7 minutes, 20 seconds remaining.

"Yeah, things didn't look too good at that point," Vasturia said. "I think our toughness helped us to pull off the comeback. We dug in, rebounded better, defended better, and were getting to the loose balls."

Vasturia shot 6 for 14 from the field (2 for 5 from three-point land) and was 8 for 8 from the line in the fourth quarter. He added four assists, four rebounds, and two steals.

Down by nine midway through the second quarter and by five at the break, La Salle opened the second half with a 9-0 spurt and finished with a 17-4 advantage in the third quarter. The Hawks shot 1 for 11 from the floor in the period.

In the Prep's fourth-quarter rally, Vasturia's first field goal from beyond the arc cut the Explorers' advantage to 41-38. His second trey and two free throws put the visitors in front, 47-46, with 1:26 to go.

Fellow sophomore guard Miles Overton, who came over from Academy of the New Church, contributed 11 points, five boards, and three assists. He drew a late charging call on Amar Stukes.

"Miles has been awesome," said Vasturia, who is 37 for 37 from the line in seven Catholic League games. "He gives our team another dimension. He can shoot, he rebounds well, and he's a good passer."

In the fourth quarter, subs Kevin Oberlies (nine points) and P.J. Kelly provided a three-pointer and fastbreak layup, respectively. "The kids played with a lot of poise, a lot of heart," Hawks coach Speedy Morris said.

Vasturia, 15, lives in Medford, N.J. His brother, Pat, a 6-3 guard, was Bishop Eustace's leading scorer last season and is a freshman guard at Ursinus.

It's a sports-loving family. The boys' father, John, played baseball and football at Cardinal O'Hara and Penn. Their mother, Kathy, played hoops at Dickinson College.

Supporting role. On a regular basis, Neshaminy's Mike McGarry watches teammate Ryan Arcidiacono take on defensive sets designed specifically to slow down the junior sharpshooter.

"It's tough for him," McGarry said. "If it's not a box-and-one defense, it's something else. He'll sometimes get frustrated and throw up a bad shot or two, but mostly he keeps his poise."

Saturday, in the Kobe Bryant/Philly.com/Rally Classic, host Malvern Prep used a diamond-and-one scheme for most of the way against Arcidiacono. With the Villanova recruit held to nine points through three quarters, it was up to McGarry and others to fill the scoring void.

McGarry, a 6-6, 185-pound senior forward, recorded 11 of his 17 points in the first half as the No. 9-ranked Redskins topped the Friars, 61-49.

"We've got other guys who can score," McGarry said. "I think we've proved that. And Ryan, when he's guarded closely, trusts us to hit shots."

Against Malvern Prep, McGarry, a second-year starter from Langhorne, shot 7 for 12 from the field (1 for 3 on treys) and 2 for 2 from the line. He added three rebounds, two blocks, and two assists.

Arcidiacono finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. Senior swingman Dwight Williams contributed 16 points, including two treys, in the first 24 minutes.

McGarry, who plays AAU ball for the Bucks County Hawks, is hearing from Holy Family, Neumann, Albright, Widener, and Philadelphia Biblical. "I'm probably going to stay close to home," the 17-year-old said.

Tap-ins. Constitution Charter's Xavier Harris, a 6-5, 210-pound senior forward, has committed to Penn. . . . Abington Friends senior point guard Joey Gripper, averaging about 14 points, is considering Hampton and California Riverside. . . . In Sunday's 49-48 triumph over Plymouth Whitemarsh at Philadelphia University, Friends' Central senior wing guard Devin Coleman took team MVP honors with 12 points, nine boards, four steals, and three assists. Six of the Colonials' 13 turnovers came in the second quarter.