Asked whether Plainfield’s intention on opening day was to make a big statement as reigning Group 4 champion and the state’s No. 1 team, junior point guard reacted almost as quickly as he does when dribbling past a defender to the basket,
“Yes, sir,” he said with pointed emphasis, but no further embellishment.
Of course, after you’ve scored 26 points in three quarters of play and led a defense that generated 12 steals, there is no need for extra words. The talk is for someone else with more ideas than real solutions.
| 12/13 - 1:00 PM Boys Basketball | Final |
|---|
| Plainfield | 73 |
| St. Joseph (Mont.) | 45 |
Plainfield looks a tad smaller without 6-10 Najai Hines around anymore to command the low post, but maybe a half-step or so quicker with an athletic, experienced and determined lineup that rolled to a 73-45 victory over St. Joseph (Mont.) Saturday at the New Jersey Basketball Coaches Association Tip-Off Classic at Montgomery.
Plainfield ended the 2024-25 season at 29-3 and No. 1 in the final NJ.com Top 20, and began this new season in that same spot. The Cardinals were hoping to prove themselves still worthy of that station, and were certainly successful in this first official viewing.
"I felt like we used our speed, executed plays and were guarding them on defense. I thought we played really good," Gordon said.
The second team All-State selection last winter attacked with a splendid mixture of lightning dribble drives and long-range accuracy (3 treys) for his 26 points, and he also contributed three rebounds, six assists and three steals for a defense that kept St. Joe’s off balance with its pressure and variety of schemes.
Even without Hines (now a freshman at Seton Hall University) around to swat shots and load up on rebounds, Plainfield bore a strong resemblance to last year’s championship squad whenever it hunkered down defensively.
“Defense is always more important,” Gordon said. “We stopped them and they really couldn’t stop us from grabbing rebounds and pushing the ball.”
Junior forward Rashawn Williams scored 15 points and took down six rebounds, senior guard Devin Thomas collected 11 points, four assists and four steals, and senior guard Marcus Richards scored nine points and had three assists and three steals.
St. Joseph (0-1) received an outstanding career debut from 6-3 freshman guard Nick Tait, who led his team with 12 points, and got 10 points and four assists from senior wing Tom Diomedi and eight points from junior guard LJ Johnson.
St. Joseph was able to stay within nine points of the Cardinals in the opening half, 33-24, through the seasoned leadership and overall playmaking of Diomedi and the defense of Julien Paradise and Tait.
But Plainfield’s pressure became too great a burden after those initial 16 minutes. The Knights committed six turnovers in the third quarter and Plainfield was happy to capitalize on each one.
Gordon was absolutely torrid in that third period with 12 points while Williams scored eight and pulled down three rebounds, and Thomas showed his overall versatility with six points, two rebounds, two assists and three steals to help the Cardinals build a 65-38 advantage. Plainfield’s five starters sat out the fourth quarter.