Prepping for the championship game of the Buckets and Blessings Tournament, Marist coach Brian Hynes was confident his squad could handle Perspectives-Leadership’s full-court press.
Much of that confidence came from having senior T.J. Tate, a three-year starter at point guard for the RedHawks.
With Tate getting the offense rolling into high gear, host Marist won 69-47 on Nov. 28 over Perspectives.
“It’s such a luxury to just say, ‘Get the ball to T.J. and get out of the way,” Hynes said. “Maybe go middle if he needs a pass. That’s not on the stat sheet, but through three quarters he handled the press and had one turnover. It’s a luxury we’re lucky to have.”
Tate finished with six points, three assists, three rebounds, two steals and just one turnover.
Seniors Charles Barnes (14 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals), Stephen Brown (14 points, four rebounds, four steals, two assists, two blocks), Ryan Lawlor (11 points), Karson Thomas (nine points, six rebounds) and Adoni Vassilakis (five points, five assists) and junior Kendall Meyers (eight points, six rebounds) led a typically balanced attack for the RedHawks.
It was a good start for Marist (3-0), but the RedHawks have much bigger dreams.
“We’re very excited,” Tate said. “… We want to go downstate and win everything, but it’s one game at a time. We have a very special crew. Everybody can score the ball. We move the ball well and everyone eats.”
With a lineup stacked with athletic guards and wings, Tate’s role is as key as ever. He doesn’t even need to score to provide a major contribution.
So if a game calls for him to pile up some assists or just play some tough defense, he’s on board, especially with plenty of talent coming off the bench.
“I’ve got teammates who come off the bench for me if I’m tired,” Tate said. “I can leave it all on the floor because I know I’ve got backup. I want to be a good point guard out there.”
Brown, a North Carolina State recruit at tight end, said Tate is a perfect fit for the RedHawks.
“T.J. is a great point guard for us,” Brown said. “He shares the ball and doesn’t try to do too much. He wants to pass to everyone else and get them going. Then, he gets himself going. It helps the momentum in the game because he’s not trying to force shots. It helps everything.”
Marist led 16-9 through a quarter and then 37-22 at halftime.
Perspectives stayed within striking distance, but Tate and the RedHawks always had an answer in the second half.
Tate said he tries to keep it simple when orchestrating the offense.
“It’s just penetrating and kicking to open things up,” Tate said. “The more we penetrate, the more things will be open. I’ve always been a point guard. I’ve been playing since I was 4. I fell in love with it.”
Marist beat Longwood and Fenger in pool play to reach the title game.
The Perspectives win was the 100th career victory for Hynes who is 100-30 in four-plus seasons.
Brown said he can’t wait to see how far the RedHawks can go this winter.
“It’s my first time playing with a team this deep,” Brown said. “It’s a great feeling knowing I can step out of the game and my teammates will go in, produce and do well.”