The Thomas Jefferson boys basketball team defeated Annandale 53-43 to collect its third straight win. Earlier in the week, Thomas Jefferson head coach Mark Gray-Mendes earned his 100th career coaching win for the Colonials.
Coach Gray-Mendes gave credit to the many talented players he’s coached, including the current roster full of experienced players.
“These guys got it done through the strength of their character, their togetherness, and their experience,” Coach Gray-Mendes said. “That’s what we’ve been trying to leverage all season. You saw it come through towards the back end of the game. Annandale put us in situations where we didn’t play our best, but we got it over the finish line and I’m proud of these guys getting it done together.”
Thomas Jefferson was led by senior forward Sahil Kapadia who recorded his ninth double-double of the season with 15 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Kapadia said the team’s chemistry comes naturally because they’ve been playing together for so long.
“All of the starting five have been playing together since our first day in freshman year,” Kapadia said. “These are my best friends, we all have great experiences together. We want to prolong our season as long as possible, so we play hard.”
The Colonials were also led by senior guard Santiago Criado with 15 points and five rebounds. Annandale was led by senior forward JR Nelson with 13 points.
Thomas Jefferson got the game started as senior guard Mihir Kulshreshtha found Criado cutting to the basket for an open layup. The Atoms started to gain momentum a few minutes into the first quarter after JR Nelson sank consecutive three-point shots.
But the Colonials would end the quarter on a 7-0 run that was fueled by points scored off turnovers created by Thomas Jefferson’s relentless full court press.
“We are fortunate this year to have a lot of length and experience,” Coach Gray-Mendes said. “I thought we did a great job in our press, especially early in the game, setting the tempo and making sure – sometimes on the road you got to throw the first punch. We have guys who have been through a lot through the three years that they’ve been playing on the varsity level. I think they’re getting better at anticipating what’s coming next.”
Thomas Jefferson began the second quarter on a 7-2 run, thanks to more points created from turnovers, and the Atoms were forced to take a timeout as they trailed 20-11. The timeout paid off, as Annandale sank three consecutive three-pointers. This time it was the Colonials’ turn to take a timeout as they led 22-20 with four minutes remaining in the quarter.
After the timeout, Thomas Jefferson was able to shift the momentum again as they locked down defensively and ended the quarter on a 7-2 run. The run was propelled by Criado and Kapadia, who made multiple trips to the foul line.
“I think we have great chemistry and with great chemistry comes great looks for everyone,” Kapadia said. “Our team does a good job of spacing (the floor) and passing the ball around.”
The Colonials (8-4, 11-7) controlled the game for most of the second half, but Annandale (6-6, 8-12) was able to bring the score within six points at 42-36 with six minutes remaining in the game. But Thomas Jefferson maintained its composure and finished the game on a 11-7 run, including seven combined points from Kapadia and Criado.
“Sometimes you have to win when you’re not playing your best,” Coach Gray-Mendes said. “Annandale is a good, well-coached team and we knew they were going to make runs, because that’s what they’ve been doing all year.”
The Colonials have two more games before the district tourney begins. Coach Gray-Mendes hopes to see his team execute a little more cleanly on offense as the regular season comes to a close.
“We have to get more consistent in terms of looking for each other on the offensive end,” Coach Gray-Mendes said. “(We want) a little more movement on offense, guys making cuts, and some better finishing will help us get bigger margins.”
–TJ Davis
@Ttown316