- November 21, 2024
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Henry Robinson Jr. drives baseline and makes a layup. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Rya'sir Jefferson puts up a shot against Father Lopez's Cole Brower (21). Photo by Brent Woronoff
Father Lopez's Jonathan Powell scored 12 of his 33 points from the free throw line. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Rya'sir Jefferson looks to pass the ball as Father Lopez's Caden Keller defends. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Tariq Shakir (3) directs the Pirates' offense. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Henry Robinson Jr. (5) leans in for a shot. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Henry Robinson Jr. drained 9 of 11 free throws. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Father Lopez's Jacob Lohman (5) guards Rya'sir Jefferson (1). Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas' Malik Murray (0) passes the ball to the corner. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas forward Henry Robinson Jr. takes a shot in the lane. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Father Lopez’s 28-point lead against Matanzas may have seemed insurmountable, but the Green Wave quickly learned that wasn’t the case.
Their 56-28 advantage midway through the third quarter was reduced to single digits midway through the fourth quarter. The Green Wave regained their composure, however, to escape the Pirates’ gym with a 78-68 victory on Monday, Dec. 11.
Father Lopez (6-0) remained undefeated, while the Pirates (1-7) saw some encouraging signs in what has been a rough start to the season.
Our lead went from 28 to 15 just like that. It was real quick.”
— BRAD RIDENOUR, Father Lopez boys basketball coach
“Our lead went from 28 to 15 just like that,” Father Lopez coach Brad Ridenour said. “It was real quick.”
The Wave’s 41-28 halftime lead ballooned to 56-28 after they scored 15 straight points to begin the third quarter. Matanzas senior guard Tariq Shakir ended the run with a 3-pointer. After a defensive stop by the Pirates, he hit another, then another.
“I didn’t know he was that kind of shooter,” Ridenour said. “I never saw that before. All of a sudden he just knocked them all down. We were shocked. We were just like, ‘Keep him in front of you and keep their athletes off the boards,' and he just came down and bang, bang, bang.”
Shakir came into the game averaging 6 points. He scored 21 with seven assists against the Green Wave, and his three straight long-range bombs energized the Pirates on both ends of the court.
“I started off slow this year, but I'm starting to wake up,” Shakir said. “I was shooting last year. I'm just getting my confidence back. I felt it leaving my hands, and I knew I would hit the next one, so I shot it. It gave us momentum. It gave us a great push for the comeback, and I think we had a chance, but we need to play like that all the time.”
Matanzas coach Henry Robinson said the Pirates have been waiting on Shakir to get hot. He averaged 11.1 points per game last year.
“He came out of his shell tonight,” Robinson said. “This is his first double-digit game. That's what we've been waiting on, because if he can play like that down the stretch, we’ll be fine.”
As Shakir was providing the offense to start a 24-8 Matanzas run, the Pirates’ big men picked up the defense. Freshmen Henry Robinson Jr. and Desmond Lewis-Gordon and senior Malik Murray each swatted away Father Lopez shots.
“That's one of the best shot blocking teams I've seen,” Ridenour said. “How many times did we have a layup, and then all of a sudden it’s on the board? I mean, I thought, 'OK we got one,' and then, no we don’t, no we don’t.”
Matanzas pulled to within seven midway through the fourth quarter but could get no closer.
Father Lopez’s Jonathan Powell, who poured in a game-high 33 points, hit 9 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter and 12 of 15 in the game. His third 3-pointer with about three minutes left put the Green Wave ahead 71-60.
Jacob Lohman added 20 points with five 3-pointers, while point guard Caden Keller had 12 points for Lopez. The Green Wave connected on 24 of 35 free-throw attempts and hit 11 3-pointers.
Nine of Father Lopez’s 10 players are juniors, but they have been playing like seniors.
“We’ve got some real good players,” Ridenour said. “We handle the ball well. We shoot it real well.”
Matanzas went 17 of 21 from the free-throw line. Robinson Jr., who scored a team-high 28 points, hit 9 of 11 free throws.
Shakir said the Pirates proved they can fight back from a large deficit.
“We know that we have the talent. We just got to play hard from the start,” he said.
The 6-foot-7 Robinson Jr., ranked 25th among the Class of 2027 by Made Hoops, has been consistent, averaging 22.1 points and 9.8 rebounds. But Matanzas has missed 6-9 sophomore Alex Davis. Robinson Sr. expects Davis to return in January at the start of next semester.
“Everybody we play sends two or three guys at (Robinson Jr.),” Robinson Sr. said. “But he’s adapted to it well. Our guys that are open have to make shots. We got to make jump shots. We got to make the easy layups.”
The Pirates play their next two games in St. Johns County — at St. Augustine High at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 and at Flagler College against DME Academy Blue at 7 p.m. Dec. 16. Father Lopez hosts Orlando Bishop Moore at 5 p.m. Dec. 16.
