WASHINGTON – Evan Conti heard the big talk about Chantilly (Va) and its big man – 7-foot John Manning — who will play at St. Louis University next year.
The Holy Cross senior swingman wasn’t intimidated.
“Everyone was saying Chantilly is good, they have a 7-footer, but we’re good, too,” Conti said. “Before the game coach told us that they should be scared of you guys because New York City is the best city for basketball.”
While Holy Cross didn’t have a player nearly as big, the Knights brought their New York swagger with them to the 22nd annual Gonzaga DC Classic yesterday and came away with a 69-62 first-round win at Gonzaga’s Carmody Center.
Conti, an unsigned and underrated senior, scored a game-high 26 points with six assists and five rebounds for Holy Cross (3-0), which is ranked No. 10 in New York City by The Post.
At 6-foot-9, Marcus Hopper is usually the biggest player on the court in the CHSAA. But yesterday, he was undersized, just like the rest of his teammates.
“He played great,” Conti said. “Marcus improved so much from last year, he got so much more athletic, so much quicker. We’ve been through a hell of a lot of wars together.”
Hopper did an admirable job, sharing the defensive responsibility on Manning with Conti and finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Anthony Libroia added 13 points and Marquise Moore had nine for the Knights, who raced out to a 13-2 lead and never trailed.
“I love playing against bigger people than me because they’re bigger, a little bit better, so if I play good against them maybe I’ll get the same looks as them too,” Hopper said. “I take it to heart. I try to play hard, don’t get in foul trouble and just do my best.”
Manning ended with 14 points, but just four after halftime.
“I thought Marcus and Conti did a great job defending him, especially in the second half,” Holy Cross coach Paul Gilvary said. “We changed up a little of what we were doing, mixed up the look we were giving them because we felt in the first half he was just catching the ball too easily.”
Brian Sydnor netted 17 points and Jake Weigand had 13 points for Chantilly (2-1), which faces St. John’s (Mass) in a consolation game Saturday while Holy Cross will face host Gonzaga (DC) in the semifinals Saturday night at American University. The Eagles defeated St. John’s (Mass), 51-39, last night.
“This was as big win,” Gilvary said. “We always say we want to stay out of the meatball matinee in the second round.”