FAIRFIELD, Conn. Two questions were answered in the late game of the Fairfield Holiday Classic on Wednesday night. The questions: Can Fairfield Prep succeed when William and Mary-bound Terry Tarpey is not on the court? And can Fairfield Warde compete with a top 10 team? The answers: Not yet, and definitely.
Tarpey dominated the game with 32 points, but only one other Jesuit was able to get into double-digits. The game turned into a coming out party for Warde, which showed off a deep bench and got a huge night from junior forward Michael Wright to stun Prep, 76-68, in overtime.
We competed for the full 32 minutes of the game and the extra four in overtime, Warde head coach Ryan Swaller said. This was a win we really did need, especially against such a quality opponent. I was very pleased with the effort of the five guys on the floor to everyone down the bench.
After Warde mounted a seven-point lead late in the third period, Prep finally snapped out of a long funk to take a brief one-point lead. The teams traded shot for shot in the fourth period, culminating in Wardes Matt McTague a former Prep student burying the game-tying three pointer with 42 seconds left to force overtime.
Both teams battled through foul trouble all night, combining for 23 fouls in the first half. That trouble came to a head in overtime as both Wright and Tarpey fouled out.
It became immediately apparent that Warde could survive without its leading scorer, but Prep could not. The Mustangs went on an 8-0 run after Tarpey exited the game to ice the win.
While Wright led the way for Warde, the Mustangs got some of their most crucial points from guard Sam Martens. The speedy senior was all over the court, diving for loose balls and finding ways to get open. He hit a trio of three-pointers on the night and sank four crucial free throws in overtime.
Aside from Wrights 21 points, Martens finished the night with 17. McTague netted 13 points for Warde, and Sal Siciliano racked up 12. Prep freshman Thomas Nolan was the second-highest scorer for the Jesuits with 10.
Prep head coach Leo Redgate admitted that the youth of his team was exposed after Tarpey exited the game. Im not too surprised about this. Warde is better than anyone thinks, Redgate said. We had a freshman, three sophomores and Terry out there for the majority of the game. We know there will be some mistakes made, but we think were going to be a very, very good team at the end of the year.
Warde (2-2) will play Notre Dame (4-1) on Friday at 8 p.m. at Alumni Hall at Fairfield University for the Fairfield Holiday Classic championship. Neither team has won the title since the tournament was reinstated in 2004. Prep (4-1) will take on Ludlowe (1-3) in the consolation game at 6 p.m.
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