Big men spark Haddonfield victory

Labels don't stick to the Haddonfield boys' basketball team.

The Bulldogs' big men play sometimes like guards, and their freshmen often play like veterans.

"All big men want to be guards," Haddonfield senior forward Mike Lacatena said after leading the Bulldogs to a 56-39 victory over Moorestown in a nonleague game Saturday.

Lacatena and fellow big men Jake Sikkema and Chris Biddle controlled the game with their rebounding and interior defense - but also with their passing and outside shooting.

Lacatena, a 6-foot-4 senior, collected 13 points and 10 rebounds. He also had two steals and an assist and made a three-point jumper.

Sikkema, a 6-3 senior, had 15 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Biddle, a 6-4 junior, added five points, four rebounds, and two blocks, and also sank a jumper from three-point range.

"We're not really big men," Sikkema said. "We can play inside and outside, and that can create matchup problems for other teams."

The other twist for Haddonfield (7-1) involves the play of freshman twins Nick and Rob DePersia, slick ball-handlers and defensive dynamos who combined for 11 points, five assists, and four steals.

"That's a very good team," Moorestown coach Shawn Anstey said of Haddonfield. "They executed very well, and their defensive pressure gave us a lot of trouble."

Senior forward Alex Howard scored 21 for Moorestown (2-4).

Haddonfield built a 27-22 halftime lead as Lacatena and Sikkema each scored nine and combined for 13 rebounds. Twice, Lacatena scored off feeds from Sikkema.

"They got a lot of offensive rebounds," Haddonfield coach Paul Wiedeman said. "It wasn't even things we were running for them as much as them wanting the ball."

The Bulldogs received a lift in the third quarter, when Sikkema was sidelined with foul trouble, from junior swingman Billy Griffin (12 points).

In the fourth quarter, Haddonfield spread the floor, worked the clock, and showcased the precocious freshmen's ballhandling. The DePersias combined for seven of their points in the final eight minutes.

The impressive victory over a Group 3 opponent could generate some momentum for Haddonfield entering Tuesday's showdown with Colonial Conference rival Haddon Heights.

"We didn't know where we would be coming into the season," Lacatena said. "We knew we had some younger guys coming in. We're pretty happy where we're at right now, but we know we have to keep getting better."

Moorestown   9 13 10 7 – 39

Haddonfield   13 14 17 12 – 56

M: Wes Kerr 5, Zac Frantz 7, Anthony Bonett 2, Jake Flannery 2, Alex Howard 21, Seth West 2.

H: Mike Lacatena 13, Jake Sikkema 15, Billy Griffin 12, Chris Biddle 5, Nick DePersia 5, Rob DePersia 6.