For the first time in over a decade, the Cheverus High boys’ basketball team is wearing the bull’s-eye as a favorite and Tuesday night at Keegan Gymnasium, the Stags got tested right out of the gate against defending Class AA champion South Portland in their regular-season opener.
And they passed with flying colors.
After a sluggish start, Cheverus erupted on an 18-1 run that spanned the end of the first period and carried into the second, and went on to a convincing 58-49 victory.
Gio St. Onge led the way with 22 points, Leo McNabb added 12 and Jameson Fitzpatrick had 10 as Cheverus made a powerful opening statement.
“We feel like we’re the favorites and we’ll go out every night and play the way we want to play. Play unselfish,” said St. Onge.
South Portland (0-2) started fast, taking a 12-6 lead thanks to a 10-2 run, highlighted by a 3-point shot from Chris Keene and capped by a jumper from Darius Johnson, but the Stags closed the first quarter on a 10-0 run to seize control.
Sammy Nzeyimana sparked the surge, scoring on a layup, stealing the ball to set up St. Onge for a layup, then making a free throw to cut the deficit to one before McNabb’s corner 3 gave the Stags the lead for good.
Early in the second period, Cheverus got layups from St. Onge and Fitzpatrick, and jumpers from Fitzpatrick and St. Onge to cap the long run and make it 24-13. Late baskets from Maddik Weisberg and Quintin Eason stretched the advantage to 35-24 at the half.
“At the beginning we weren’t the hammer, we were the nail,” said Stags Coach Richie Ashley. “Then we set the tone. Once we get going, we go.”
Cheverus opened its biggest lead, 41-24, before Gabe Galarraga (26 points, eight rebounds) rallied South Portland by getting to the basket time and again, despite being closely defended.
The Red Riots drew within 51-43 on a 3-point shot from Manny Hidalgo with 3:31 remaining, but after Nzeyimana kept a possession alive with an offensive rebound, Rocco DePatsy set up McNabb for a dagger 3 before free throws from Nzeyimana, St. Onge and Fitzpatrick put it away.
“I think we played well even though there are obviously things we can do better,” Ashley said. “I thought at times that’s the best I’ve seen Cheverus play probably since Coach (Bob) Brown was here, over a decade ago.”
South Portland which returns just two players, Galarraga and Hidalgo (nine points, five steals, four assists) with varsity experience, has Scarborough, Falmouth and Portland next on its schedule, but Coach Kevin Millington believes his team will come around.
“Our offense is inexperienced and it will take time,” he said. “We want to go to (Galarraga) even when there’s three guys around him. We have to get in situations when Manny can attack one-on-one, rather than one-on-three.
“I think we have some really talented kids. I’d like to think we’ll be really good at the end of the year.”
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