Top-ranked Riordan’s embarrassment of riches carries Crusaders past Bellarmine in WCAL showdown

SAN JOSE — Most basketball teams would be happy to have one go-to player. With No. 1 Archbishop Riordan, it’s almost easier to determine who isn’t dangerous. 

Wing Jasir Rencher? He’s a problem. Guard Andrew Hilman? A headache. Coupled with a deep bench and a towering center combo of 6-foot-10 Nes Emeneke and 6-foot-9 JP Pihtovs, the Crusaders can roll over almost any opponent.

That’s exactly what happened to Bellarmine on Friday night in San Jose. The Bells welcomed in Riordan for a battle of 10-1 teams, and they trailed by just three points after the first quarter. But Riordan took a double-digit lead into the half after a 13-0 run, and the Crusaders simply were too much to stop down the stretch in a 64-38 win.

“It felt good, but it’s what we expect,” said Riordan coach Joe Curtin. “We are playing well. We’re deep. We have a nice, cohesive group. We have great chemistry on and off the floor. So if they’re not giving a good effort right away, I think that’s on me. This team is pretty locked in, and we got it rolling pretty good.”

Part of the problem with stopping Riordan (11-1, 2-0 WCAL) is they come at you in waves. Seven players scored at least six points for the Crusaders, and five reached double figures. 

“We tell the guys, ‘Look, there’s no pacing yourself on this team.’” Curtin said. “When you’re in the game, you’re going 100% all the time. Especially the guys at the end of the bench, we want to get them in the game at the end of the game. So it’s their responsibility to help their teammates and their buddies out and handle business, do what we have to do. And hopefully everybody gets to get in.”

Bellarmine (10-2, 1-1 WCAL) was faced with an almost unsolvable problem in trying to contain Riordan’s relentless attack. The Bells had a game plan they thought could give them a chance, but they couldn’t quite pitch a perfect game.

“We stuck in there, and then their depth got us at the end,” said Bellarmine coach Alex Sarrett. “Rebounding was a big factor. It’s something we stressed in the pregame huddle. The war of attrition there got the best of us. But I’m proud of our guys’ effort. Some guys stepped up and hit some shots. Stuff to build on going into the next part of the league season.”

For Riordan, there’s a fortress upon which to build. Positionally, the Crusaders lack nothing across the board. This season will ultimately be defined by what their uber-talented squad accomplishes in CCS and the NorCal regional tournament.

On Friday night, they looked the part of the best team in the Bay Area.

“It’s about guys buying into their roles and accepting that they’re gonna have to sacrifice,” Curtin said. “And everybody has to sacrifice. Even the guys that play the most minutes on the team, they’re sacrificing. They’re sacrificing shots. They (would) play the whole game on a typical high school team. So when they got to sit, they were there for their teammates and cheering their teammates on. When it comes down to it, we’re all in it together, and the ultimate goal is to win.”

Rencher led the Crusaders with 19 points, and Hilman chipped in 15. Pihtovs poured in 12 off the bench, giving Riordan a spark to help separate in the first half.

Emeneke added 11 as the Crusaders dominated the post all night long.

“Their size is overwhelming at the rim,” Sarrett said. “Problem is, you got to get the rebounds on the misses. I thought we did a good job staying in front, trying to make it tough for them. And then the boards killed us. If they’re getting transition runouts and we’re not scoring on our end of the floor, it’s tough. It’s tough taking the ball out of the net every time and getting into offense.”

Bellarmine will continue to build as WCAL play carries on, seeking to mold a young team into a contender in the rugged basketball league. Ethan Lyles led the Bells with 14 points, while Will Corbett and Cam Razavi chipped in seven apiece.

“We have the perspective of even the worst team in the league, if you have an off night, they can pop you at their place, you know?” Sarrett said. “So we’re growing as a team to try to have the maturity to step into those environments and be successful. But we have to play good games.”

For Riordan, it’s onward and upward in the pursuit of championships.

“We stick to the same routine,” Curtin said. “We have a formula. We stick to it. And I think that helps. We don’t look ahead at all. I tell these guys at the beginning of the season, we lay out what we want to do, and then we just focus on the day, and we focus on the next opponent.

“As long as we don’t stray from that, we’re consistent, and that’s what matters. If we stay consistent with it, they get back in the groove. They get back on track. That’s why we don’t really drop too many games. If we do drop a game whenever, we’re not dropping two in a row. We get back on track pretty fast.”