Boys Hoops: St. Rita hands Brother Rice first loss

By Steve Millar 
Correspondent

St. Rita came into this season with plenty of hype, boasting a stacked roster led by the top three junior recruits in the state.

Three early losses may have left some people questioning whether the Mustangs are legit, but junior forward Morez Johnson said he and his teammates are ready to prove the naysayers wrong.

St. Rita got a much-needed big win over Catholic League Blue rival Brother Rice on Dec. 9. The Mustangs got 19 points from Nojus Indrusaitis and pulled through with a 57-51 road win over the Crusaders in front of a large crowd in Mount Greenwood.

“People were saying we’re overrated and we’re waking them back up,” Johnson said. “Now we’ve got to keep it going.”

Johnson, an Illinois recruit, had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Mustangs (4-3, 2-0). Junior center James Brown finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds and Homewood-Flossmoor transfer Nashawn Holmes added eight points.

Niagara recruit Ahmad Henderson poured in 28 points for Brother Rice (9-1, 2-1). Jimmy Navarette scored eight points off the bench and Zavier Fitch chipped in seven points.

The game was tied 29-29 at halftime, but Johnson came out on a mission in the second half. He scored all seven of his teams’ points during a 7-2 third quarter-opening surge.

“It just happened that way,” Johnson said. “It changed the momentum of the game. We were able to build our lead.”

The Crusaders battled back to tie it 40-40 after three quarters and took a 43-40 lead on Henderson’s 3-pointer early in the fourth.

St. Rita answered with the next eight points, including five from Indrusaitis, a transfer from Lemont.

The game’s biggest momentum swing came when Brother Rice, trailing 49-45, missed five shots on one possession. The Mustangs then went the other way and Brown threw down a huge alley-oop dunk off a pass from Jordan Chandler.

“We were unable to get the rebound on the possession before, so it was good we were able to get out in transition and make a play,” Brown said.  “I feel like that’s where we’re most dangerous as a team, in transition, with the size and athleticism we have on the wings playing with me and Morez.

“That’s our greatest strength as a team and I’m glad we were able to utilize it.”

Brown hit four free throws in the final minute to seal the win.

Brown was also impressed with how Indrusaitis performed in his first big Catholic League road game.

“I see him embrace it a lot,” Brown said. “Nojus is a great player. He’s got incredible talent. He knows how to score the ball. I’m glad to see him thriving in this type of environment. It’s really not easy coming on the road in the Catholic League and getting a win so I’m really happy to see him thriving.”

Despite the defeat, Henderson put on a show against a team filled with high-major recruits.

“There’s definitely a lot of motivation for me playing against guys like that,” Henderson said. “I’ve been kind of doubted my whole life. It’s a big motivator for me.”

Brother Rice responded from its first loss with a big 50-46 win over Bloom (5-2) on Dec. 11 at the Team Rose Shootout at Mount Carmel.

Henderson led again with 14 points, including two free throws with nine seconds left to seal the victory.

Fitch scored eight points, while Nick Niego, Tre Dowdell and Khalil Ross each had six points.

The Crusaders stepped up huge defensively down the stretch to hold despite scoring only two points — on Henderson’s free throws — in the entire fourth quarter. Bloom managed just six points in the quarter.

“It’s a really big win after our first loss,” Brother Rice coach Conte Stamas said. “That was a big game for us Friday night. We gave the guys Saturday off and just prepped for this game [Sunday] morning. It really was big to bounce right back.”