As Xaverian boys’ basketball coach, Jack Alesi has to wear many hats. At halftime of a low-scoring CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Diocesan quarterfinal against St. Francis Prep, Alesi put on his therapist hat.
Look inside, he told his team. But this instruction didn’t have a dual meaning. He wasn’t trying to have his team channel their inner Clipper. Alesi just wanted his players to get the ball into the paint, to get to the basket.
“We just fine-tuned some things at halftime and made a real good effort to get inside,” Alesi said. “We got four or five baskets and that was the game.”
Xaverian did just that and broke away from the Terriers in a 46-28 victory Monday night at Christ the King. The Clippers advance to the semifinals to face second-seeded Bishop Loughlin Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Top-seeded Christ the King hosts No. 4 Archbishop Molloy in the other semifinal at 7:30 p.m.
“It’s kinda hard to come out and play these games,” Xaverian guard Justin Exum said. “They play at such a slow pace and they back-door cut and they do all the small things that can really get you. We played good ‘D’ and kept up our intensity.”
As was the case in Xaverian’s 21-point victory at St. Francis Prep last month, the game was ugly. But the Clippers made the critical adjustment in the third quarter, pushing the ball inside to Rasheem King and getting to the foul line.
“It’s never pretty, it was workmanlike,” Alesi said. “We knew coming in what the game was going to be like. You have to never underestimate Prep. They’re a very smart team, they take care of the ball.”
Once the Terriers’ defense collapsed inside, the Clippers kicked the ball out to Exum, who knocked down two of his three 3-pointers as Xaverian (13-12) doubled up St. Francis Prep in the third quarter.
Exum finished with a game-high 17 points and Yandell Davis added 12 for the Clippers.
“Rasheem does a good job of seeing when I’m open and passing it out,” Exum said. “It’s up to me to make the shot.”
Rob Nacer was the leading scorer for St. Francis Prep (8-17) with six points. The Terriers will meet an Archdiocese team in the Class AA intersectional outbracket Sunday at Archbishop Molloy.
Meanwhile, Xaverian gets another crack at Bishop Loughlin after a pair of regular-season losses.
“They were a little more physical than us the last time in terms of loose balls, tips and charges,” Alesi said. “I think it will be a good game. We have enough in the tank still left here to win another game.”
