Tatnall at Salesianum: Game Recap

Chad Graham December 4, 2025 @ 11:50 AM

For my second game on opening day, I slid to "The Night Show" on Broom Street to see Salesianum as the faced the Hornets from Tatnall. In a packed house, the game was excited from start to finish, with Tatnall pulling out the win, 58-56. Here are the Standouts:   [player_tooltip player_id='1755072' first='Mason' last='Collins'] | 6'7 G/W 2028 Tatnall   Collins put on a show in the first half, with and without the ball. He shot it well off of movement, knocking down a corner three off of a baseline out-of-bounds and downing the foul on a second one (2/3 FT). Additionally, he titled the defense and got to his spots in the halfcourt, which forced heavy rotations and drew fouls. The skilled wing also made some loud plays on defense, highlighted by a play late in the second quarter when he got a steal then put someone on an absolute poster which quieted the home crowd. Lastly, he evented out the height differential inside with his impact on the glass. Collins scored all 15 of his points in the first half and notched 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal & 1 block before dealing with cramping that sidelined him most of the second.   [player_tooltip player_id='2818415' first='Jalen' last='Littlejohn'] | 6'4 W/F 2029 Tatnall   Littlejohn's performance at the forward spot was indispensable. On defense, he contested shots without fouling, put a body on guys cutting to the hoop, and secured rebounds to closeout possessions. Then when the Hornets had the ball, Littlejohn showed off his feel and skill. As a hub on the perimeter, he found cutters with bounce passes and kicked out to shooters. And when opportunities presented themselves, he kept the ball on DHOs and drove to score or dish when he drew an extra defender. The young point forward finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block.   [player_tooltip player_id='2773627' first='Ayinde' last='McLendon'] | 6'0 G 2026 Tatnall   McLendon wreaked havoc on Sallies with defensive playmaking. His agility at the point-of-attack limited paint touches by the opposing guards and the turnovers he forced got the Hornets easy buckets in transition. He got going offensively in the second quarter using his movement off-ball. McLendon crashed the boards, relocated for catch-and-shoot threes, and cut. His two-man game with Littlejohn was crucial down the stretch. The two-way guard tallied a game-high 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assist, and 5 steals.   [player_tooltip player_id='2812233' first='Justen' last='Wright II'] | 5'6 G 2029 Tatnall   The true freshman point guard controlled the vibes for the Hornets. Never sped up, Wright II played within himself as he initiated the offense. His ability to play low to the ground and strong with the ball afforded opportunities to slip into the lane and compromise the defense. He took what the defense gave him too, including a couple floaters – one on a putback and the other while attacking a closeout. He also hit a three in transition. Taking care of the ball every step of the way, Wright II put up 14 points, 3 rebounds and a steal.   [player_tooltip player_id='2365472' first='Mark' last='Brown'] | 6'8 F 2026 Salesianum   It didn't always look clean, but Brown was extremely effective around the basket. He flashed open from the dunker spot and short corner, then converted the bucket and got fouled. His rebounding was an even bigger problem against the Hornets as he made second and third efforts for offensive boards. Brown showed off his intriguing athleticism on a fastbreak dunk and again when he jumped a pass late in the fourth. He led the Sals with 17 points, 9 rebounds, and a steal.   [player_tooltip player_id='2365471' first='Dominic' last='Downs'] | 6'4 W 2026 Salesianum   A known sharp shooter, Downs primarily impacted the game below the rim and on defense. Playing off the catch, he extended advantages and initiated contact on drives that turned into buckets, free throw attempts, or open looks for someone else. Down came up big on a glass too, battling for putbacks. He also came away with multiple steals that he instinctively pushed up the floor. With the addition of a three on a BLOB, Downs racked up 16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals.

For my second game on opening day, I slid to "The Night Show" on Broom Street to see Salesianum as the faced the Hornets from Tatnall. In a packed house, the game was excited from start to finish, with Tatnall pulling out the win, 58-56. Here are the Standouts: