Robinson Leads Shamrocks to Sweep of Marist and Guerin
January 22, 2008

Jerome Robinson led the Saint Patrick Shamrocks to a sweep of a pair of home games last weekend. Robinson had 18 points in each game as the Shamrocks pulled out a 60-59 win over Marist in an East Suburban Catholic Conference contest on Friday night and beat Guerin 61-56 in the annual “Battle of Belmont” on Saturday night. Saint Patrick is now 12-5 with a 6-1 mark in the conference, which places them in first place, one game ahead of St. Joseph.

The Shamrocks faced a Marist team that was sky-high, coming in off their first win over St. Joseph in 14 years, to open the weekend. The Redhawks and the Shamrocks both came out shooting the ball very well. Robinson had seven points, and Tim Traversa hit a pair of three-point shots as the Shamrocks built a 20-15 lead after one quarter. Traversa hit two more three-pointers in the second quarter as the Shamrocks ran out to a 37-23 halftime advantage. Robinson and Bradley Bruno each scored five points in the third as the Shamrocks extended their lead to 18 points at 52-34 heading into the final quarter.

The Shamrocks would need every one of those points to hold off a furious fourth-quarter rally by the Redhawks. Poor free throw shooting by the Shamrocks, who made only five of eleven free throws in the final quarter, and the hot shooting of Marist sophomore Nick Valla, who scored 17 of his game-high 23 points in the final period, combined to get Marist back in the game. The Shamrocks held on for the 60-59 victory. Robinson scored 18 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked two shots, while Traversa finished with a team-high 20 points, including six three-point field goals. David Campbell, bouncing back from an injury, and Bruno each chipped in with eight points.

The next night Saint Patrick struggled to control the Gators’ Jordan Johnson in the first half. Johnson scored 19 of his game-high 23 points before intermission, leading the Gators to a 34-33 halftime advantage.

The Shamrocks clamped down on Johnson, and Robinson took over at the offensive end, scoring eight points in the third quarter. Campbell added four points in the third quarter as the Shamrocks took a 47-42 lead after three. Bruno scored six points in the final quarter to help the Shamrocks hold on for a 61-56 victory. Robinson paced the Shamrocks with 18 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Campbell scored 16 points, and Bruno, Bryant Smith, and Joshua Whitaker each added eight points for Saint Patrick.

The Shamrocks return to East Suburban Catholic Conference play on Friday night, when they travel to Joliet to take on the Hilltoppers of Joliet Catholic Academy. The next night, the Shamrocks head out to Elk Grove Village to face the Grenadiers of Elk Grove in a non-conference match up.