All Tyler Wooten may do was smile. Brother Rice vs. Marist. Battle of Pulaski. Full home. ‘It was loopy.’

Brother Rice’s Tyler Wooten skilled his first Battle of Pulaski on Tuesday night time.

It’s secure to say the senior guard, who transferred from Thornwood earlier than the college 12 months, was impressed by the expertise of taking up rival Marist in entrance of a packed dwelling fitness center.

“It was loopy,” Wooten stated. “The environment was loopy. That’s the most important crowd I’ve ever performed in entrance of, so it was enjoyable after which we got here out on high and acquired the trophy, in order that was large.

“I wasn’t as unfastened as regular as a result of it was an even bigger crowd, nevertheless it’s not like I used to be nervous or something. It was simply thrilling. You’re simply glad to play in one thing like this. You’re able to go.”

Wooten stepped up with 11 factors because the Crusaders rolled to a 65-47 win over Marist.

Zavier Fitch led Brother Rice (19-2) with 19 factors and 15 rebounds, whereas Lewis recruit Cale Cosme completed with 15 factors and 7 rebounds and Marcos Gonzales had 11 factors.

Darshan Thomas paced Marist (16-4) with 13 factors and 9 rebounds. Marquis Vance added 12 factors and eight rebounds and Adoni Vassilakis chipped in with eight factors.

The trophy Wooten was referring to was a brand new one — the Pulaski Submit — which shall be given to the winner together with the Andrew Weishar Basis.

The faculties used the sport as a fundraiser for that charity.

“It makes it extra particular enjoying for Andrew Weishar and this trophy,” Cosme stated. “We talked earlier than the sport about how we needed to be the primary ones to cement our identify on that.

“No one can take that away from us.”

Wooten, in the meantime, has needed to change his recreation at Brother Rice. After enjoying level guard and serving as the first ballhandler at Thornwood, he’s now on the wing and ceding a lot of these duties to Cosme and Gonzales.

“It’s nonetheless one thing I’ve acquired to get used to,” Wooten stated. “I do know what I can do, so I need the ball as a lot as I can get it. However we’re profitable video games, in order that’s all that issues.”

Brother Rice coach Conte Stamas sees Wooten getting increasingly snug.

“He’s been terrific,” Stamas stated. “To come back into a brand new scenario, college and a program the place he didn’t have a really feel for what we do, he’s been an important teammate. The opposite gamers have been receptive of him.

“There are a whole lot of lecturers within the constructing who’ve stated nice issues about him as a pupil and an individual. It’s been an important all-around match for him.”

Wooten additionally scored 5 fast factors at the beginning of the fourth quarter because the Crusaders pushed their result in 56-39.

Cosme is actually glad to have Wooten as his teammate.

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“The child performs his butt off each recreation,” Cosme stated. “He made a whole lot of good performs for us, whether or not it was ending these layups or grabbing rebounds.

“He’s been nice for us. He’s an important child and he’s becoming in effectively.”

Marist jumped to a 7-0 lead earlier than the Crusaders responded by outscoring the RedHawks 16-2 over the remainder of the primary quarter.

Behind a dominant efficiency from Fitch, who was named the sport’s MVP, Brother Rice took a 30-21 halftime lead and rolled within the second half.

“We confirmed people who Marist can’t mess with us,” Fitch stated. “Folks had them ranked forward of us at first of the 12 months. That doesn’t imply something. We all know who we’re.”

And Wooten now is aware of what the rivalry is all about.

“I simply came to visit right here and I’ve acquired to hate Marist, too,” Wooten stated. “It’s enjoyable.”