Quinn Cook helps DeMatha rally from early deficit to defeat O'Connell

Quinn Cook is both accomplished -- and short -- enough that the 6-foot junior guard shouldn't get discouraged when he gets his shot blocked. Yet after O'Connell's Jordan Burgess, a 6-foot-5 junior, stuffed Cook on a layup in the first quarter Friday night, the DeMatha standout stewed.

"You know, when you miss an easy shot like that, it affects you," Cook said. "Seeing the ball going into the net really helps your confidence."

By the end of the night, Cook's assurance was through the roof. His game-high 26 points helped No. 2 DeMatha overcome a 15-point first-quarter deficit and breeze to a 62-53 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference victory at home.

After O'Connell took a 19-4 lead six minutes in, Cook scored 12 of DeMatha's 25 second-quarter points as the Stags (24-3 overall, 15-1 WCAC) revved up the tempo and forced the Knights to play at a pace at which they were not comfortable.

Senior guard Kendall Marshall was terrific as O'Connell took its lead against DeMatha's man-to-man defense. He had 11 points and assisted on four of O'Connell's other five first-quarter baskets. Late in the first quarter, though, DeMatha began switching up its defense, offering traps, zones, more man, and O'Connell (13-12, 8-8) couldn't adjust. Marshall could not get his shot off and his teammates couldn't finish when he found them.

"It was no longer just man-to-man where [Marshall] could see over you," DeMatha Coach Mike Jones said. "We kept them guessing."

Cook got on the scoreboard with a three-pointer 90 seconds before the end of the first quarter to start a 29-6 DeMatha run over 6 minutes 48 seconds that gave the Stags the lead for good, 33-25. Cook hit four from long range during that run, and he hit them from all over -- out of a half-court set, in transition, even on fast breaks.

"Coach always tells us to stop the ball on the fast break," Marshall said. "But when you've got Quinn Cook pulling a three on a fast break, what can you do?"

The threat of Cook from deep opened the inside for junior center Mikael Hopkins, who had 16 points and a few high-flying finishes from Victor Oladipo and Jerian Grant.

DeMatha scored seven of the second half's first nine points to make it a double-digit margin for much of the remainder. Marshall (20 points) went more than 13 minutes in between points before scoring late in the third quarter, but he couldn't bring the Knights back himself.

Fast start, slow finish: O'Connell scored 21 points in the game's first seven minutes, but just 18 over the next 20 minutes. Next up: DeMatha's game Monday against top-ranked Gonzaga will be at Trinity University.