Tolman boys basketball turns on the jets, races past S. Kingstown; how the Tigers did it
SOUTH KINGSTOWN --- Teams in the upcoming Division II and boys basketball state tournaments won’t want to see a quarter like this from Tolman.
The Tigers were scorching coming out of halftime against South Kingstown, and what looked like a competitive league matchup on paper turned into a comfortable road victory.
The visitors knocked down nine consecutive shots in one stretch, opening a 29-point lead and easing to an 81-70 win away from home. Tolman connected on 15 3-pointers in the game and handed the Rebels — a team that pushed a pair of league leaders earlier in the week — an unexpectedly routine defeat.
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“It feels amazing throughout the whole group,” Tolman senior Malik Gelinas said. “Once one person catches fire it reflects on everybody.”
The Tigers carried a 34-25 lead into halftime before hitting the jets. Nicholas Fleury, John Hilaire, Daniel Saulsby and Gelinas all knocked down jumpers from beyond the arc while building a 52-34 advantage. South Kingstown had suddenly lost contact and called a timeout with 3:24 left in the third.
“I try not to hold us back too much,” Tolman coach Mike Neal said. “Let us be comfortable with the shots that we take. I remember when I was a player — I didn’t want to be put in a box.”
Tolman didn’t stop there. Hilaire’s drive down the left and conventional three-point play pushed the advantage to 59-38. Gelinas and Saulsby each hit 3-pointers inside the final two minutes, part of a 10-for-12 start from the field after the break.
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“It’s just hours in the gym constantly getting shots up,” Gelinas said. “Once it comes to game time, it’s just normal. It’s muscle memory.”
The Tigers (17-4, 14-3 Division II) entered expecting a tough challenge. The Rebels (13-8, 10-7) fell against unbeaten Lincoln and fellow contender St. Raphael by a combined 10 points earlier in the week. South Kingstown opened the fourth quarter on a 13-0 run to pull within shouting distance, but Tolman had too much of a cushion to ever feel seriously threatened.
“It was great to have the long bus ride,” Neal said. “You’re going to be in different elements and go into different environments in the division and state tournament.”
Hilaire finished with a game-high 26 points and Gelinas added 23 for the Tigers, who have won four straight into their regular-season finale. Saulsby made it three in double figures with 11 points — all but one of his four field goals came from deep. Tolman buried five 3-pointers to build a 19-12 lead after one quarter, setting the tone for the rest of the evening.
“They do a really good job identifying the hot hand,” Neal said. “Malik had a good night. John Hilaire had a good shooting night.”
Jonnah Monnes heated up in the second half to lead South Kingstown with 18 points. Griffin Sward added 17 while James Wilson chipped in 12 and Jordan Chaloux hit for 10. The Rebels rattled off 32 points in the fourth quarter but left themselves with too much hill to climb.
“They’re a challenging team,” Gelinas said. “They’re a well-coached team. For us to come out and respond the way we did, it’s beautiful.”
TOLMAN (81): Malik Gelinas 7 4-6 23, Hercules Pontes 0 0-0 0, John Hilaire 8 6-7 26, Nicholas Fleury 2 0-0 6, Alex Alvarez 4 0-0 9, Daniel Saulsby 4 0-0 11, Isiah Gois 2 2-4 6; totals 27 12-17 81. SOUTH KINGSTOWN (70): Jordan Chaloux 4 0-0 10, Will Rosenblum 1 0-0 2, Griffin Sward 6 4-4 17, Derek Moffat 0 0-0 0, Jeffrey Burns 2 0-0 6, James Wilson 5 2-3 12, Ian McIntyre 1 0-0 3, Jonah Monnes 7 0-0 18, Noah O’Hagan 0 2-2 2 totals 26 8-9 70.
Halftime — T, 34-25. 3-pt. field goals — T 15 (Gelinas 5, Hilaire 4, Alvarez, Fleury 2, Saulsby 3), SK 10 (Burns 2, Chaloux 2, Monnes 4, McIntyre, Sward).
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: The Tigers erupt after halftime en route to a convincing victory
