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By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
St. Edmund’s Altine King is not quite fit to rule over the court — at least not yet.
The 6-foot-2 junior, who was a role player last season, is laid back and still learning how to be comfortable as the Eagles’ go-to scorer. Coach Dan Wiatre repeatedly has to remind King to be more aggressive.
King finally listened to that advice after three frustrating quarters and nearly led St. Edmund back from a 12-point fourth quarter deficit against Xavier.
He scored 18 of his game-high 25 points in the final frame of the Eagles’ 66–55 home defeat to the Knights in Catholic Class A boy’s basketball Monday night. King, who was hounded by Xavier’s Matt Crockett, channeled his frustration and hit nearly everything he put up in the fourth.
“I felt like I couldn’t stopped,” he said. “I just kept going.”
King hit two 3-pointers and converted two 3-point plays on contested jump shots. Playing with a newfound swagger, he helped pulled the Eagles within 56–53 with 2:11 left in the game.
Xavier (13–5, 6–0) responded by scoring the next five points, including a try by Kevin Crockett (18 points) to quell the surge. Justin Cannon added 14 points for St. Edmund (9–9, 3–7).
Wiatre knows King is capable of amazing shooting displays like the one he put on Monday. He believes with some work King will be able to earn a college scholarship down the road. The key will be getting him to believe in himself and take charge throughout the game.
“We have been on him about being more aggressive,” the coach said. “He’s capable of doing it more consistently.”
Wiatre believe that applies to his entire team as well. One prolonged defensive lapse in recent games has been the difference in tight losses to the league’s elite teams, including a four-point defeat to division-leading Nazareth.
Against Xavier the stumble came in the second quarter. The Knights ended the half on a 9-0 run, including a 4-point play by Mattt Crockett, over the final 3:00 to claim 29–19 advantage.
“We came up short defensively,” King said.
Coming close isn’t what St. Edmund is striving for.
“These guys, they’re not satisfied competing,” Wiatre said. “They want to win these types of games and they know they know can.”
Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.