Twelve days after being upset in the CIF Southern Section playoffs, the St. Anthony boys’ basketball team played with renewed vigor in the first round of the CIF State Division 3 playoffs at home on Wednesday night.
The Saints used their superior pace in the open floor, and physicality down low, to steamroll visiting Buena 76-53. St. Anthony (28-3) will visit Knight for the quarterfinal round on Saturday night.
CIF Basketball: St. Anthony vs. Buena
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“We had something to prove, and we wanted to get that bad taste out of our mouths,” St. Anthony coach Allen Caveness said. “We played with good energy tonight.”
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St. Anthony took an early lead and never lost it while thriving in the open floor. The Saints led by as many as 26 points in the second half.
Sophomore center Brad Ezewiro scored a game-high 15 points for St. Anthony. Junior Josh Belvin scored 13 points, junior Frank Staine chipped in 10 points and sophomore Gorden Boykins scored all 11 of his points in the second half. He also hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter.
St. Anthony point guards Cocoa Chatman and Noah Nickel dictated the pace with aggressiveness, and each had a handful of assists. Chatman dominated the third quarter, and Caveness said he needs to give his senior captain more freedom.
“He’s a special player and we’ve just got to let him go,” Caveness said. “The whole team played well.”
