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Back and Ready: STAB boys beat Flint Hill in return to the floor

Photo by Bart Isley

St. Anne’s-Belfield didn’t look like a team that hadn’t played a competitive game of basketball since the end of the 2019-2020 season, a 20-win campaign that ended in the second round of the state playoffs.

 

Instead, the Saints, particularly in the second half, looked locked in as they beat Flint Hill 82-69 with an explosive two-headed offensive effort from Carter Lang and John St. Germain leading the way. Lang and St. Germain each finished with 22 points with Lang also posting 20 rebounds while going 10-for-17 from the field. 

 

The Saints opted not to play basketball under COVID conditions a year ago, so just getting a chance to be on the floor together was a big step for the program.  

 

“We talked before the game and more than anything we wanted to enjoy the moment and go out there and fight and play with energy and just see what happens,” said STAB coach Damin Altizer.

 

The Saints’ offense struggled early as Flint Hill jumped out to an 8-0 lead, but Dyllan Thompson shook STAB out of that funk with a barrage of 3-pointers. Thompson hit all four of his 3-pointers in the first half, helping propel the Saints to a 33-28 lead at the break. 

 

He wasn’t the last member of the supporting cast to knock down some big 3-pointers. Freshman Gabe D’Alessandro buried a pair of back-to-back threes in the fourth quarter with the second long ball pushing the lead to 69-58, giving the Saints much of the separation they needed to hold off the Huskies with just under four minutes to play. 

 

St. Germain really got going in the second half, attacking the basket repeatedly on the break and in half court sets and either finishing or making a timely pass for a bucket as he finished with three assists. 

 

“We told him at halftime that he’s going to score 20 if he attacks the rim and he finished with 22,” Altizer said. “He’s so strong and we had contributions all the way through, even the guys who didn’t play bringing great energy.”

 

Lang finished off whatever St. Germain didn’t, cleaning up the boards on both ends of the floor after wearing down Flint Hill’s front line in the first half with his physicality. 

 

“He hasn’t played in 18 months and he was in foul trouble the whole third quarter and we couldn’t go to him and he had a 20 and 20 night that most kids never have,” Altizer said. “We still haven’t seen everything from him.”

 

Meanwhile, point guard Chance Mallory was all over the floor for the Saints, notching 10 points, four boards, four assists and two blocks. Mallory made an array of plays despite giving up some serious height to Flint Hill’s tall, athletic group of guards. 

 

“We told him his motto this year is forget the IF, because everybody is always like ‘if you were taller’ and it doesn’t matter, he’s everywhere — he had two blocks tonight and he’s 5-foot-7,” Altizer said. “To say he’s the guy who makes us go is a disservice to him, he’s the electricity, he’s the guy who makes us go and he’s the switch and when he’s on, he’s the guy who impacts the game in every way.”

 

Saxby Sunderland, a senior guard with an offer from VCU, finished with 26 points to lead Flint Hill while Matthew Gray had 18 points for the Huskies.

 

The Saints will compete in the Sleepy Thompson Tournament in Northern Virginia later this week, starting with a clash with Episcopal Thursday night. 

 

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