Mitty bounces back, overpowers Bellarmine in WCAL basketball showdown
SAN JOSE — With two San Jose rivals meeting up on a Friday night, the gym at Bellarmine was jam packed.
The expectation was for a competitive battle, but Archbishop Mitty, coming off a tough loss to St. Ignatius, bounced back with passion and energy in a 66-47 victory.
“We had a chip on our shoulder,” point guard Danny Ryan said. “Everyone had them ahead of us in the rankings, so we came out hungry.”
Mitty dominated throughout. Bellarmine’s only lead was at 1-0.
The Monarchs sped up the pace and forced the Bells into 14 turnovers and 15-of-42 shooting
“We got them frustrated throwing bodies at (Will) Corbett, he’s such a skilled player,” Mitty coach Tim Kennedy said. “And against a San Jose team, you always want to take them out on their own court.”
Corbett led all scorers with 17 points.
Mitty (9-5, 3-1 West Catholic Athletic League) went on a 14-2 run over the late first and early second quarter to open a 26-12 lead. Bellarmine (10-4, 2-2), with a lift off the bench from Justin Familetti, closed to 28-23 just before halftime. Familetti scored seven of the team’s 11 during that rally.
But the Monarchs put the game away with a scoring blitz to start the third quarter, making 8 of their first 14 shots to open a 19-point lead.
Amani LaMere-Swift, a 6-4 combo guard, got the run started with a 3-pointer. He finished with 16 points.
“Amani was on fire,” Kennedy said. “He was focused at shootaround, all day. Really came out with energy, under control. He was ready for the challenge tonight. He’s long and a great defender. When he’s balanced and shooting well he’s tough to deal with ”
Joseph Seifu, a 6-5 wing, also scored 16 for Mitty.
Nicholas Gklaros-Stavropoulos, a 7-foot transfer from St. Francis, scored 12 and helped Mitty hold its own on the boards, something that didn’t happen on Tuesday when St. Ignatius had a 16-6 advantage on offensive rebounds.
“He’s a beast and he has so much more room to improve,” Kennedy said. “So I’m pretty excited to see what he can do.”