When he made the varsity team at Marist, freshman guard Adoni Vassilakis was confident he could contribute offensively with a strong outside shot.
As far as playing defense goes, however, it’s a big leap from trying to stop eighth graders to trying to stop seniors.
“It’s much harder to defend than in grade school,” Vassilakis said. “These guys are much faster and stronger. You just have to push through it and get the stop.”
Vassilakis got the biggest stop with the game on the line Wednesday night, playing tough defense to force a St. Laurence miss in the final seconds as the visiting RedHawks held on for a 57-55 victory.
Mason Ross and Kaden White scored 13 points apiece for Marist (5-0), with Ross’ runner in the lane breaking a 55-55 tie with 30 seconds to go. Marquis Vance added eight points and six rebounds.
EJ Mosley scored 19 points and Jacob Rice finished with 18 for St. Laurence (3-2).
In the final seconds, St. Laurence’s Zerrick Johnson — who had eight points and six rebounds — tried to drive to the basket with Vassilakis hounding him the whole way.
Vassilakis forced him into an off-balance shot that was off the mark.
“Coach (Brian Hynes) told us we need one stop, we need to shut them down,” Vassilakis said. “I was the guy guarding the ball, so I had to just defend and get that last stop and get my team the win.”
Hynes had full confidence that Vassilakis was up to the task.
“That’s Adoni,” Hynes said. “That’s why we were so happy he was coming to Marist. He plays hard. He welcomes the challenge. He wants to guard the best player every game and every day in practice.
“We kind of settled on a lineup in the fourth quarter to take us home. To have a freshman out there, knowing we were going to need stop after stop, says something about him. There was no chance he was coming off the court.”
Vassilakis also chipped in six points on a pair of 3-pointers.
“I love Adoni,” Ross said. “That’s my boy. We’re always putting in the work together. Just to know that I don’t have all the weight on my shoulders is great.
“I’m learning stuff from him. He’s learning stuff from me.”
Vassilakis said he expected to make the varsity team right away. Now, he’s trying to build a comfort level.
“The first couple games, there was kind of some pressure and I was nervous to shoot,” he said. “Even now, I’m a little bit nervous, but as we keep going on, it will go away.”
St. Laurence led 51-44 with 6:35 to go, but Marist fought back behind a pair of 3-pointers from White to force a 53-53 tie. After the teams traded baskets, Ross hit his final shot with 30 seconds left.
“This means a lot,” Ross said. “We have a new roster, but we play together and play like a family. To win at St. Laurence, it’s great.”
Mosley sat out the final three-plus minutes with what he said was cramping in his leg. The Vikings struggled down the stretch without him.
“It hurt us, but we have to have players step up when guys like him go out,” Rice said. “We’ve got to play the whole game. You can’t let up early or get settled. You have to play defense the whole way.”
Vassilakis can attest to that. His late defense had his teammates celebrating, giving him further belief he’s ready for varsity basketball.
“I work hard all the time, before practice and after practice,” Vassilakis said. “As you work, the results will show.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.