Classical edges Malden at TD Garden

BOSTON – Tom Grassa, in shirt and tie and looking not unlike your average professional sports coach up on the podium after a big win, got off several good lines after Classical?s 55-51 win over Malden at the TD Garden?s Good Sports Invitational Saturday.But his best line pretty much summed up the Rams? struggles during the game.?I told them ?no more threes,?” he said, “because I think they were all confused. They didn?t know which arc they were shooting from.”The three-point shot is part of Classical?s staple, but while the looks might have been good, the results weren?t — at least for long stretches of the game.But when it counted, the Rams — and game MVP Philip Rogers — came through.The three-point line in high school consists of an arc that intersects with the top of the key. In college, the line goes beyond the top of the key. Both were drawn on the parquet floor Saturday.?I don?t think our shot selection was bad at all,” said Grassa of his team?s shooting struggles in the second and third quarters. “It?s just that nothing was falling. There were a couple of times where I went up to players and told them ?that?s a shot you hit most of the time.?”Of course, said Grassa, a lot of that could have just been the venue — both its history and its layout.?I think it took us three quarters to just settle down and understand we were in a basketball game,” said Grassa. “Also, you get used to shooting in a gym with a low ceiling, and then you come in here and it?s so high … it can throw your perception off a little.”None of that seemed to matter much in the first quarter as Classical sprung out to an 18-10 lead after a period.?They killed us off the offensive glass in that quarter,” said Malden coach Don Nally. “We felt we had to do something about that.”?I think both teams were hurt a little off the offensive glass,” said Grassa. “I thought they killed us there, too.”But Malden kept Classical off the glass for at least the second quarter. As a result, the tables turned completely as the Golden Tornados outscored the Rams, 14-6, to forge a 24-24 tie at the break.Neither team did much scoring in the third, but Rogers, who had 24 points, broke loose for eight in the quarter. Still, Malden led, 37-35, after three.Rogers wasn?t the only one with the hot hand Saturday, and it?s a good thing for the Rams. Eddie Solis was an able sidekick for Rogers, pouring in 17 points, 11 of them in the fourth quarter as the Rams started to assert themselves.?He had a great game,” said Grassa. “He?s our best defender. I always pair him up with the other team?s best shooter.?But today,” Grassa said, “he did everything well. He made some good passes, and he made some crucial baskets too.”In fact, it was Solis, off a steal, who scored the bucket with 54 seconds left that put Classical up by four (53-49) and ensured that as long as the Rams held serve they would win. Malden?s Bryan Mitchell (17 points) closed that gap to two with 14 seconds left, but Rogers hit two foul shots with 11.7 seconds to go to seal the win.?To us,” Rogers said, “it was a game. It was nice to be here. But it was a game. I don?t think I was nervous at all.”