The Saint Patrick basketball team is ready to build off a third-place at the Kurland Thanksgiving Tournament.
The Shamrocks went 3-1 in the tournament, beating Glenbrook North by a score of 54-46 in the third place game. Prior to the final round of games, St. Pat’s defeated Chicago Math and Science, 81-38, and Payton, 50-24, but fell to DeLaSalle, 67-56.
Senior Alton Thompson led the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 12 points and 5 rebounds per game. Seniors Keishun Thomas and Laurence Merritt each averaged 10 ppg. Senior Jalen Nelson added 4.5 rebounds per game, while junior Jeremiah Jones pulled down 3 rpg.
Coach Mike Bailey said that, for the most part, he likes what he’s seen from his team early on. He was impressed by the pressure defense and ball movement of the Shamrocks, which led to several easy bucket.
The Shamrocks also had the opportunity to look at several different lineups throughout the tournament, learning how to be effective with big rebounders or a five-guard lineup on the court. Bailey expects those various lineups to play a key role in St. Pat’s success moving forward.
