Christian Brothers Academy guard Daniel Owens wasn’t sure he wanted to wear the No. 23 uniform.
Then, he talked to the previous owner of the jersey.
`I didn’t really want 23, but when I talked to Galal (Cancer), he told me to represent the number,` said Owens.
The junior shooting guard did just that, as Owens scored a team-high 18 points to help CBA (1-0) down Big 10 rival Catholic Central 90-51 in Friday’s home opener.
Owens wasn’t the only one knocking down shots. Two more Brothers reached double figures, and 14 players made the scoring column in the blowout.
`I was happy we were moving the ball well and finding the open guys,` said CBA coach Dave Doemel.
CBA was in sync from the opening tip. The Brothers raced out to a 15-3 lead and then outscored the Crusaders (0-1) 27-7 in the second quarter to build a 50-20 halftime advantage.
CBA’s guards were at the heart of the offensive explosion. When they weren’t knocking down shots themselves, Owens, Drew Brundige, Nick Marini and Tyrell Ramsey were crisply passing the ball to forwards Greg Stire and Brian Renaud as they were cutting through the lane for layups.
`No one really knows about our younger guards,` said Stire, who scored 17 points and added eight rebounds. `But they’re a really good group of guards.`
`Nick (Marini) and Tyrell (Ramsey) dictated the flow of the game and found the open guys,` said Doemel.
Ramsey contributed 14 points off the bench for CBA, the defending Section II Class AA champions. Ramsey, Owens and Brundige combined to hit seven of the Brothers’ eight three-pointers.
Anthony Mack had 17 points, and Brian Brooks chipped in 14 points for CCHS.
CBA looks to continue what it started Friday when it visits Bishop Gibbons Tuesday in Schenectady. The Brothers hope to have senior center Nate Robinson back after Robinson suffered an injury in practice earlier in the week.
`With Nate being down, we had some guys step into some roles tonight we were expecting Nate to fill and they did a great job,` said Doemel.