Five Takeaways: Servite vs. Loyola

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WESTWOOD — The opening game of the Trinity-Mission League Challenge provided early morning theatrics worthy of the legendary host venue of Pauley Pavilion. Servite defeated Loyola, 61-60, on a left wing three-pointer from freshman guard Tariq Johnson. Below we give our five takeaways from the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Servite Playing with Renewed Energy Under Matt Kanne and Staff</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It wasn't the prettiest of wins for the Friars but it was a big one for coach Kanne and his staff in their first year at the helm of the Anaheim-based all-boys private school. Servite persevered through a sloppy effort against the Loyola full-court press and continued to battle on the glass and make big shots down the stretch. The biggest of all the shots was a left wing three from freshman guard Tariq Johnson with 5.7 seconds left which ended up being the difference in the game. While decision-making was questionable at times, there was no questioning the effort that Servite played with.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Friars' Have Strong Foundation of Freshmen</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The above-mentioned Johnson, a 5-foot-10 point guard, is wise beyond his years with the ball in his hands as a playmaker, creator and scorer. Johnson, who hit a game-winning three-point shot against Loyola, finished with 16 points and showed tremendous poise in the closing moments of a tight game. His classmates, Saiger Smith, a 6-foot-2 left-handed shooter, and Carlos Galvan, a versatile 6-foot-3 forward, are two other impressive pieces for Servite to build with.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cubs' Carter a Prospect to Watch</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2916714' first='Mattai' last='Carter'], a 6-foot-2 junior guard/wing, was the game's leading scorer with 20 points and made his impact as a driver and athletic finisher to his right hand. He missed much of the fall basketball action due to injury but looked spry and springy on the Pauley Pavilion floor with a couple of explosive above the rim finishes on the break.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Loyola Pressure Made it Difficult</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Loyola started the game in a regular man-to-man but quickly realized Servite's achilles heel was the guard play and switched to an active 2-2-1 press that resulted in numerous turnovers and easy buckets on the other end. Loyola was really good at denying the middle and baiting long, lobbed passes that they were able to pick off.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cubs Have Sit Out Period Reinforcements</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Loyola has three players on the bench who will likely be starters when their transfer situations are cleared up. [player_tooltip player_id='2131792' first='Deuce' last='Newt'], previously of Campbell Hall, is one of the best three-point shooters in Southern California. James Wright, a 6-foot-10 forward/center from Redondo Union, will bolster the Cubs' front-line. [player_tooltip player_id='2436267' first='Omari' last='Cuffe'], a 6-foot-5 wing from St. Pius X-St. Matthias, will bring offensive and defensive versatility in addition to a boost in length and athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->