Stakeliunas stakes Hill to big opening-round win

Standing 6-foot-8 and possessing all-around skills, Jonas Stakeliunas’ best basketball is ahead of him.

Now, it’s about what he and his Hill School teammates leave behind.

Falling to Blair Academy (N.J.) in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League championship game, 62-51, last Sunday stung the Rams, but they still have the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association state tournament to leave their stamp. And Friday night at home in the first round, Stakeliunas and Co. left Springside Chestnut Hill Academy far behind, 58-38, advancing to tonight’s state quarterfinal, again at Gillison Court (7 p.m.), against Penn Charter.

Stakeliunas, a post-graduate who will play at Dartmouth next season, was a big reason the Rams left the Blue Devils in the dust. He scored 10 of his game-high 18 in the first quarter before the Rams turned up the defense and blew out the Blue Devils in the second quarter.

“We lost the MAPL final, which was real upsetting, but we have states left,” Stakeliunas said. “The ultimate goal is to win it hopefully. It’s the last thing left for us, so we really want to end the season on a high note.”

Hill School (17-7), the No. 2 seed, tonight will face a 10-seeded Penn Charter club that upset No. 7 Academy of the New Church on Friday, 53-52. The Rams will be coming off a strong defensive effort. In the second quarter they held the Blue Devils to two second-quarter points while forcing them to commit 13 turnovers in the period.

“We focused on our defense, and that’s going to be really important against a good offensive team. And anybody we play the rest of the way is really good,” Hill School coach Seth Eilberg said. “So hopefully the work we put in this week, and some of what we’ve learned from the season, pays off this time of year.”

SCH hung in there the first quarter, hitting three three-pointers and leading on two occasions. Undersized, though, they couldn’t deal with Stakeliunas or 7-1 Solomon Ruddell.  The athletic Stakeliunas scored from various spots in the paint, getting five first-quarter baskets including a fast-break dunk, a putback, and three layups.

“Coach emphasized before the game that me and Solomon have to be active this game because they’re small, so I tried to get good position near the basket and finish,” Stakeliunas said.

His layup, the result of a designed play off a nice pass from Ethan Norton, ended the first quarter, which Hill School led only 13-12. But the Rams were off to the races immediately in the second quarter.

“We started pressuring them in man-to-man defense, denied the passing lanes, created some turnovers and running the fast break quicker,” Stakeliunas said.

From an 18-14 lead, the Rams completely took over. Three-pointers by Stakeliunas and Bryce Allen triggered a 14-0 run to halftime, a surge fueled with terrific defense. The Blue Devils turned it over on eight straight possessions, leading to 12 Ram points.  Allen and Norton roared in for fast-break finishes, and Hill School high flyer Chase Audige finished the half with a flourish, throwing down a lob dunk just before the horn for a 32-14 halftime lead. Overall Hill School outscored the Chestnut Academy 19-2 in the period.

Hill School put the hammer down again in the third, outscoring the visitors 21-8. Ruddell and Audige got the second half started with six quick points, and the margin was 31 (53-22) after three. Everyone on the Hill varsity roster, plus three freshmen, played, and nine Rams scored.