Ahead of Friday’s game, Marist coach Brian Hynes issued a challenge to junior guard Xavier Sulaiman — let your offense come from your defense.
To say Sulaiman was up for the task would be an understatement.
He spent the entire night stifling rallies from Joliet Catholic while kick-starting a few of his own.
Sulaiman’s relentless play on both sides of the court helped host Marist snap a two-game skid and bring home a hard-fought 57-52 East Suburban Catholic Conference victory.
“He can get to the rim pretty much whenever he wants,” Hynes said of Sulaiman. “He thinks more offensively. To play at the next level, we want him to think defensively, too.
“He’s our glue. His energy in many games so far, whether it’s a dunk or just positive body language, has helped get us a rally.”
Sulaiman proved that throughout the game for the RedHawks (5-4, 2-1). His efforts were needed early as Joliet Catholic (8-3, 0-3) threatened to blow things open at the start of the second quarter.
The Hilltoppers began the quarter with a 9-0 run, quickly putting Marist down 20-10. But just as the Hilltoppers appeared to seize control, Sulaiman hit a contested 3-pointer that brought the home crowd back into the game.
It became a running theme throughout the night — the Hilltoppers grabbing momentum, then watching Sulaiman snatch it away. He erased a four-point deficit by starting the third quarter with six points in less than a minute.
When Joliet Catholic senior Alex Brown tied the game with a pair of free throws, Sulaiman hit another three that sent the Marist bench into a frenzy.
“It’s just a mentality coming into the game,” Sulaiman said. “We wanted to put the two losses behind us and came out playing like we were 0-0.
“It definitely shows us we can get it done when we play together and play hard.”
Sulaiman finished with 20 points. He received scoring support from fellow guard Leirre Collier, who ended up with 13.
“It was definitely a big game for us,” Collier said. “We definitely needed this win, and I felt like we showed that. We need that momentum for our upcoming games.”
Joliet Catholic made sure the RedHawks didn’t get that momentum without a fight, however.
Thanks to Brown’s 15-point effort, the Hilltoppers hung with Marist till the end. Brown was eventually fouled on a 3-pointer with his team down five late in the fourth, but could not connect on his free throws.
“Alex starts our engine,” Joliet Catholic coach Joe Gura said. “He missed a couple free throws, but what about the 25 plays before that?
“Alex Brown is a quiet leader, a person who only cares about us winning. He’s a good player now and he’s going to be a good player at the next level.”
Marist’s comeback victory helps hammer home a culture Hynes is trying to build in his first year coaching the team.
After watching the RedHawks struggle when falling behind early in previous games, their rally Friday night has him believing his team can stick together when it matters most.
Meanwhile, Sulaiman’s showing is proof he can handle any challenges thrown his way. And don’t expect him to lose sight of the task at hand despite Friday’s breakout performance.
“Our focus is to win the next game,” he said. “One game at a time. We came together as a team and it’s going to help us moving forward.”
Casey Drottar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
