Patriots advance to consolation final
It took a bit for Issac Jordan to get going Friday, but once he did, the 16-year-old, Grade 11 forward put on a show.
Jordan poured in a game-high 21 points to pace the Saint Paul Patriots past the Governor Simcoe Redcoats 73-32 at Notre Dame in a consolation round semifinal game at the 66th Annual Welland Tribune Basketball Tournament.
Jordan netted a pair of field goals in the first quarter before hitting his stride with 13 points in the second quarter, which included a trio of three-pointers.
“I missed a couple of layups at the start but when I hit that first three that’s when I thought it was going to be a great game,” Jordan said.
Jordan enjoyed being the go-to player on offence.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “I loved it. Being able to shoot all the time, it’s great.”
Jordan had 22 points in the first two games of the tournament before letting loose Friday.
“It kind of just happens,” he said. “I’m one of the younger ones on the team. Usually it’s the older ones they go to but in games like this where I have the hot hand, they get the ball in my hands so I can do what I have to do.”
Patriots coach Michael Doodeman is a big fan of Jordan.
“He is someone to count on, he has that capability. It’s just been a lot of ups and downs this season so it hasn’t been every game. I think it’s more of our team performance that contributes to that more than the individual,” Doodeman said.
Jordan, who plays rep ball for the Niagara Raiders, has noticed the difference in calibre in his first season at the senior level.
“It’s different. Everybody is more athletic, stronger,” he said. “It’s more of a challenge and I feel I have to run way more and do so much more just to compete with these guys. When I have those bigger Grade 12s on me and up in my face, it’s so much different from being in Grade 10 and having someone smaller on me.”
The Patriots will be gunning for their first Tribune consolation title since defeating the Lakeshore Catholic Gators 44-31 in 2008.
“It would be awesome,” Jordan said. “That’s all I’m hoping for now. I want to win this. I’m locked in.”
The Patriots dropped their first game of the tournament to Saint Mike’s before topping Blessed Trinity Thursday.
“First game obviously we wanted to be on the other (championship) side but this is a great opportunity,” Doodeman said. “We’re really excited.”
PATRIOTS 73 REDCOATS 32
Mountainview Building Group Players of the Game: St. Paul’s Dante De Benedetti and Simcoe’s Robert Muir.
For the Saint Paul Patriots: Isaac Jordan 21; Matteo Canakis 13; Dante De Benedetti 11; Charlie McCamley 8; Joey Primerano-Williams 7; Daniel Szufranowicz 4; Elijah Pappin 4; Nick Graovaz 3; Matthew Murray 2.
For the Governor Simcoe Redcoats: Malcolm Perrin 16; Ari Steenhuis 6; Robert Muir 5; MJ Brophy 3; Lochlan Belliveau 2.
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