St. Mary’s Nick Garde, right, attempts to dribble past a pair of defenders earlier this season. Garde and the Saints finally broke through in the win column Tuesday. (File Photo by Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – If at first you don’t succeed, try and try and try and try and try (say that 16 times) again.
The St. Mary boys’ basketball team easily could have packed it up, written off the remaining games, and focused on its offseason activities, which for several athletes includes dusting off cleats and baseball gloves. Instead, the Saints persevered and it paid off.
St. Mary ended a 15-game losing streak, winning its first game of the season, 45-35, over Pathfinder Tuesday night at Westfield Middle School South.
“Over the last two months, we’ve improved immensely,” St. Mary coach Joe Molta said. “We finally got rewarded.”
St. Mary has shown gradual improvements over the last several games. All of the pieces came together for the Saints against Pathfinder.
“It was a really excellent defensive effort on our kids’ part, and well deserved,” Molta said.
Nick Garde (13 points), Gio DePergola (7), Jake Butler (6), Drew Collins (6), and Seamus Butler (5) provided the bulk of St. Mary’s offense.
