vikingssportsn The Hopewell freshman Boys basketball team hit the road this afternoon as they traveled to Shadyside Academy and returned home with their first win of the season, a convincing 41–18 victory.
Hopewell wasted no time setting the tone. Roman Crisci opened the game with a steal and drove it to the hoop for his first basket.
The early momentum continued as Xavier Vallecorsa, Christian Fischer, and Vin Smetana each added baskets to extend the Vikings’ lead. Vallecorsa then buried a three-pointer, and Ryder Kostrick closed out the quarter with a bucket that pushed Hopewell ahead 13–0 after the opening quarter.
The offense stayed hot in the second quarter, starting with an opening basket from Jaxsen Covalt, which extended the Vikings lead out to 15-0.
Shadyside finally broke through with its first points of the game, but Hopewell answered quickly. Kaleb Gonzalez attacked the lane for his first basket of the night and later added another basket in the quarter. Crisci and Nico Yannessa each contributed 2 points, helping Hopewell take a commanding 23–4 lead into halftime.
The Vikings’ defense stepped up in the third quarter, which led to more scoring opportunities off of several steals and offensive rebounds. Gonzalez and Kostrick each scored six points in the period, while Yannessa drilled a three-pointer and totaled five points in the quarter as Hopewell continued to build its advantage with a 38-6 lead.
In the final quarter, the Vikings slowed the pace and focused on ball movement and execution. Fischer powered inside for a basket, drew a foul, and completed the three-point play at the line. Gonzalez capped off the game with a late basket, sealing the 41–18 road victory.
Final Stats:
Kaleb Gonzalez-10 points
Nico Yannessa-7 points
Ryder Kostrick- 6 points
Xavier Vallecorsa- 5 points
Christian Fischer- 5 points
Roman Crisci- 4 points
Jaxsen Covalt- 2 points
Vin Smetana- 2 points
