Shoreline Tips Off With Three Nail-Biters and a Glass-Cleaning Masterclass

The new season opened Wednesday night at East Shoreline Catholic Academy, and the basketball gods skipped the easing-in period entirely: two three-point thrillers, a 22-rebound monster game, and the Huskies planting an early flag atop the table.

Around the League

Red Storm 43, Knicks 40. The night’s tightest finish was a rock fight to the very end. David Orr set the tone for Red Storm with a game-high 16 points to go with 5 rebounds, a steal, a block and a triple, while Jason Erxleben did the dirty work — a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double with 2 assists. Branden LaPia chipped in 8 points and 5 boards, and Danny Gardner grabbed 8 rebounds with a pair of steals. The Knicks had every reason to walk away frustrated: Taylor Houghton was sensational with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks, and Brian Jackson filled the sheet with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Scott Edmond added 6 points and 8 boards, but the three-point gap held.

Bulldogs 44, Black Mamba 41. Another three-point squeaker, and another night where one hot hand made the difference. Khalid Jabarkhail poured in 18 points on the strength of 4 made threes, adding 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Dan Scandalito backed him with a 10-point, 8-rebound, 2-steal effort that included 2 triples of his own. Black Mamba pushed right to the wire behind Paul Votto’s 11-point, 11-rebound double-double (2 steals to boot), with Colby Morawski (8 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) and Samim Jabarkhail (7 points, 7 rebounds, a game-high 3 steals) doing a little of everything. Justin Rozen’s 6 points and 8 boards rounded out a balanced effort that came up just short.

Huskies 57, Green Wave 48. The lone game with breathing room still had plenty of fireworks. Ryan Florentine led all scorers with 23 points, stuffing the line with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block. Scott Houghton caught fire from deep, knocking down 3 of his triples on the way to 15 points. But the headline belonged to Neil Anglemire, who hauled in a staggering 22 rebounds alongside 8 points and 3 assists. Green Wave didn’t go quietly — Jeremy McDonald stuffed the box score with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals, and Jimmy Girolamo added 16 points on 3 made threes — but the Huskies’ two-way punch carried the night.

The Standings

With everyone playing exactly once, the early table is a study in tiebreakers. The Huskies sit atop the league on the strength of the week’s biggest margin (+9), with the Bulldogs and Red Storm right behind them — both 1-0 with identical +3 differentials. On the other side of those three-point games, Black Mamba and the Knicks find themselves at 0-1 despite competitive showings, while Green Wave rounds out the field. It’s Week 1, so nobody’s panicking — there’s a long way to go.

Movers & Shakers

Bucket of the Week goes to Ryan Florentine, whose 23 points led every scorer in the league — and he did it without taking a night off on defense (2 steals, a block). Right behind him, a three-way scoring chase: Jeremy McDonald and Khalid Jabarkhail each dropped 18, with Khalid’s coming on a league-best 4 triples. Taylor Houghton (17) and David Orr (16) weren’t far off.

On the glass, nobody came close to Neil Anglemire, whose 22 rebounds were the number of the night. McDonald topped the assist column with 5 dimes, Samim Jabarkhail swiped a league-high 3 steals, and Houghton paced the rim protectors with 2 blocks.

And the double-double club opened its season with three charter members: Taylor Houghton (17 & 10), Paul Votto (11 & 11) and Jason Erxleben (10 & 11). A strong opening night for the do-it-all crowd.

See everyone next Wednesday.