Ibidapo brothers block out the opposition; Shea boys basketball wins eighth straight
PAWTUCKET — Emmanuel Ibidapo’s favorite block is the one he sends careening into the stands.
His next preferred swat is up for debate. He could send a shot back into the face of a would-be scorer or come off his spot to punch one into the wall of the Shea High School gym.
The forward managed all three with a minute left in regulation. His nine blocks and 15 points dominated the paint as the Raiders seized their eighth win in a row with a 54-46 triumph over Cranston West on Monday night.
“We take pride in our defense because our defense translates to offense,” Ibidapo said. “That's how we were trained and that's how we like to perform.”
Ibidapo has two younger brothers on the team: Isaac, a sophomore, and Elijah, a freshman. Emmanuel and Isaac both stand 6-foot-6, while Elijah is about 6-3. The trio’s length and instincts caused havoc for the Falcons.
“It's very important,” Isaac Ibidapo said of the defense. “It’s basically the key to our team. The defense is what makes us win the game.”
Here's more on Shea’s home win:
Ibidapos on the art of the block
After back-to-back denials by Isaac Ibidapo, the sophomore found Keondre Silva, who had a game-high 20 points, for a wing triple. The 3-pointer, only the Raiders second of the contest, put Shea ahead, 39-32, with 6:09 to play.
The middle brother prefers to jump with the offense. Where they go, he follows.
“I just want to hang with them,” Isaac Ibidapo said, “because I can hang longer than most people. So if I can hang with them, I can just [block] it anytime I want.”
The Raiders’ lead swelled to double digits minutes later as Shea clamped down defensively. Silva canned another triple, before the eldest Ibidapo returned shots on the three game-deciding possessions.
“I love when I swat it into the stands,” Emmanuel Ibidapo said. “They tend to never try a layup on me again. It could be a nice open lane and now they are going to second guess because last time they got it punched.”
The senior is more reserved than his younger brother with his technique. He anticipates the offense, if they dare, and then reacts.
“I kind of wait for the shot to go up,” Emmanuel Ibidapo said. “And I know I have a wingspan so I try to swing as far as I can without hitting the person and it manages to work every time.”
Boys hoops: Who is this week's Providence Journal Boys Basketball Player of the Week? You decide
Emmanuel Ibidapo’s final block of the night, the one sent into the wall, protected a 52-46 lead as the big man also iced the game at the line.
The brothers, both equally vicious, differ on their favorite stop.
“I like swatting it into the stands, but if I can get a snatch block, I prefer that,” Isaac Ibidapo said.
Shea returns to form after early season stumble
The 2022 Division II champions dropped four out of their first five games this season. The Raiders were a disjointed group and when adversity hit, they didn’t handle it efficiently.
That’s changed over the last month. The Raiders surged to a 14-4 lead after the first quarter, but trailed by a point at halftime. They gained the edge at the end of the third frame, 36-32, and then polished off another win.
“We might lose that game at the beginning of the year,” Shea coach James Sorrentine said. “At the beginning of the year, we had teams in the third, we had teams going into the fourth and then we dealt with a little pressure, a little adversity and we didn't handle it at that point in the season. But now we've grown and now we're comfortable with those moments.”
Related: Johnston boys basketball snaps its three-game skid, here's how they did it against Rogers
The Raiders have four games left and a regular-season finale date against undefeated Lincoln.
“Everyone on that team, we all grew up together, so this is really family,” Emmanuel Ibidapo said.
Falcons’ second quarter run
Cranston West packed everything inside in the second quarter with a 2-3 zone. Forward Noah Germain more than held his own against Shea and finished the frame with six of his eight points.
The sophomore finished inside and then drew a shooting foul on back-to-back possessions. After making both from the line he pulled the Falcons within one and on the ensuing Shea possession he drew a charge.
“They pressed us pretty much all game on makes,” Sorrentine said. “In that second quarter we started to get sped up a little bit and took some quick shots.”
After getting possession back, West took the lead on a triple by Jaymien Aponte. The senior also pulled the Falcons within five with 47.7 left in regulation. Ryan Zarrella paced West with 14 points.
“That backline allows our guards press up knowing we have a guy like [Emmanuel] or a guy like [Isaac] on that back line to block those shots,” Sorrentine said.
jrousseau@providencejournal.com
On X: @ByJacobRousseau
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Shea boys basketball wins eighth straight
