Hot start lifts Paul VI over Eustace

It was the worst practice of the year.

It led to the best game of the year.

"This was the best energy, the best excitement, the best passion we played with all year," Paul VI coach Tony Devlin said, shaking his head in wonder at his team's performance Thursday night at archrival Bishop Eustace.

Paul VI went on an astounding 29-2 run in the first half, took a 36-10 lead into intermission, and coasted to a 62-43 victory in an Olympic Conference National Division shocker.

This outcome would have been surprising under any circumstances. These teams had met three times in the previous 13 months, and all three games were decided by two points.

"I expected another two-point game," Devlin said.

Actually, Devlin was hoping for another two-point game. Because the way his team has been playing over the last week, and the way the Eagles moped through practice Wednesday, he wasn't sure they could keep pace with the red-hot Crusaders.

"Coach ripped us last night," Paul VI senior guard Ron Curry said. "He stopped practice and just started yelling for five minutes."

Devlin isn't a yeller. But his team needed something, since the Eagles were in real danger of letting a potentially special season slip away.

Paul VI played without its usual fire in a 69-59 loss to Paulsboro on Saturday, although the Red Raiders deserve credit for seizing the initiative in the game. Then came a sluggish performance Monday in a win over Woodrow Wilson, and a ragged practice Wednesday.

"In a fog," Devlin said of his team.

Meanwhile, Bishop Eustace was riding high after an impressive showing just last Thursday against national power St. Anthony as well as comfortable victories over Eastern and Camden. The Crusaders had won eight of nine.

If there was smart money bet before this game, it probably was on the home team.

"Defensively, we didn't play with our normal intensity," said Bishop Eustace coach Bob Falconiero, who was as surprised as his counterpart, just not as pleasantly. "Offensively, they were doing what they wanted and we didn't do anything to stop them."

So both coaches were baffled, which put them in the same company as most of the 1,400-plus spectators that filled Bishop Eustace's field house.

These were top teams, with Bishop Eustace at No. 2 in The Inquirer's South Jersey rankings and Paul VI at No. 4. Bishop Eustace entered play with a 21-4 overall record and a 8-1 mark in the Olympic National, while Paul VI was 21-3 and 9-0.

Everybody expected another taut battle that turned on a play in the final minute, like Curry's game-winning jumper in a 62-60 victory over Bishiop Eustace on Jan. 17.

Instead, Paul VI played a nearly perfect game to seize the division title. The Eagles were so balanced that they had six players score between nine and 13 points.

It was a clinic. Nearly every basket was the result of an assist. Curry led the way with a stacked stat line that included 11 points, six assists, four steals, and two blocks, despite battling cramps in his legs for much of the second half.

"We came out with a lot of passion," Curry said. "We hadn't done that in some of our other big games."

Devlin said every team is "tired" at this time of the year and coaches are frazzled from preparing for a number of unknown opponents in next week's state tournaments.

Devlin threw up his hands during practice Wednesday. He said he has never given this team a harder time.

But there was a message in his madness.

"I told them, 'I can't figure it out. You can't figure it out,' " Devlin said. "But I told them that I know we're still a good team. I know we're still one of the best teams in South Jersey."

It was a bad practice that led to a great game, probably the Eagles' best of the season.

These teams could meet again in the South A title game in two weeks.

If so, bet on the team that has the worse practice the day before.

Paul VI   17 19 12 14 – 62

Bishop Eustace   6 4 17 16 – 43

PV: Ron Curry 11, Kris O'Connor 9, Roosevelt Cubbage 11, Matt Risse 13, Jay Howard 9, Sameen Swint 9.

BE: Carson Puriefoy 16, Sho DaSilva 17, Ry'n Bland 2, Dexter Harris 3, Scott Hyland 2, Nick Hauscin 3.