The Bishop Hendricken basketball team beat visiting Smithfield 65-45 on Monday night as it gears up for the upcoming Division I postseason.
Mike D’Ambra led the Hawks with 22 points, including four 3-pointers. James Caldarella finished the night with 17 points as well.
Although Hendricken took care of business against the Sentinels, the Hawks were not satisfied with their overall performance, especially in the second half when it took until late in the final quarter to put the game out of reach. Smithfield entered the contest with just three wins on the season and the Hendricken leaders, including Caldarella, felt that they let their guard down in the victory.
“The quality of our play kind of took a step back tonight, so we can’t take any game for granted and lock in for playoffs,” said Caldarella.
The Hawks will wrap up the regular season by taking on Johnston and Cranston East. Hendricken will be the heavy favorite in each matchup which would put them on track to claim the third seed in the division behind La Salle and Classical.
Hendricken came up short in last season’s DI semifinals and then was ousted from the state tournament by Lincoln in the Elite 8.
With much of the same roster returning, Caldarella feels that it will be up to the seniors to take control and steer the ship.
“It’s going to take good leadership from me, Jakob (Reyes) and Dylan (Lynch). We have to be vocal with the other guys and show them how to do it the right way,” said Caldarella.
D’Ambra had a breakout year last winter as a freshman and was a focal point throughout the postseason for the Hawks. Now, as a sophomore, D’Ambra looks to stay sharp and play with confidence as Hendricken looks to get back on top.
“If I’m open, the shot is going off. Coach (Jamal Gomes) always says to shoot the ball with confidence. When I’m open, I’m firing,” said D’Ambra. “We have to go out there with the mindset that we are going to win every day.”