St. Thomas Aquinas’ Jalen Pichardo guards against Colonia’s Saivon Pressley in a GMC White Division game on February 3, 2022 (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
One of the biggest cliches in sports is that you can learn more from a loss than a win.
If that holds true for St. Thomas Aquinas, they may have learned a ton this weekend.
A gutting, one-point, triple-overtime loss in the Seagull Classic this weekend to Camden Eastside taught the team they need to work on their defense, according to senior Jalen Pichardo.
The 6-7 senior swing is a key part of that defense, as well as the team’s leading rebounder, with a handful of double-doubles already this season.
And that lesson about the Trojans’ “D” may have come just in time, as top-ranked Aquinas (11-1) faces No. 3 Colonia (10-1) Thursday night in a huge GMC Red Division game. Should STA fall, Colonia would win the division outright, and almost assuredly lock themselves in as the No. 1 seed in the GMC Tournament next month. But if the Trojans win, they would have a chance to win it themselves next Tuesday night when they visit St. Joseph in Metuchen.
You can hear the game, of course, on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe calling all the action. Pre-game starts at approximately 6:35, with tip-off at 7:00. Click here to listen to the live broadcast for free.
Pichardo, who transferred in from East Brunswick after his sophomore season, has not lost to Colonia while at Aquinas, as the Trojans went 3-0 against the Patriots last season, including a pair of regular season wins in the home-and-home as part of their White Division slate, and a victory in the GMC Tournament final.
Click below to hear St. Thomas Aquinas senior Jalen Pichardo talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:
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