WARMINSTER, PA – Last night, Father Judge (8-2, 1-0) visited Archbishop Wood (6-3, 0-1) in their first Philadelphia Catholic League meeting of the 2017 season.
Early in the first quarter, Vikings senior point guard Collin Gillespie led Wood to hold on to a fragile lead. The tides quickly shifted however, as by the end of the first quarter, Judge was up by a basket, 18-16.
Archbishop Wood vs. Father Judge (12 Photos)
The second quarter got a little bit more intriguing as the referee suddenly began calling ticky-tack fouls, throwing the stands and coaching staffs of both teams into frenzies. Judge retained the lead, 31-28 at the half.
The second half was all back and forth – that was until the man of the hour, Marc Rodriguez, stepped up to propel the Crusaders to a 68-60 victory.
Coming into the game, the senior guard needed to score 19 points in order to become the first player in Father Judge history to hit the 1,000-point mark. Rodriguez ended the night with 27.
“It's an amazing feeling to know I am the first to accomplish this goal, but my teammates and coaches helped me to get here, and I appreciate them,” said Rodriguez.
With a little over one minute left in regulation, Judge fans were on the verge of witnessing history as Rodriguez stepped up to the line to shoot two foul shots. He drilled his 1,000th point at the line with ease on his second foul attempt.
“I knew it was the 1,000th point because I knew I needed 19 and it seemed like I was getting close,” Rodriguez added. “I just focused on mechanics basically. All praise to God.”
Rodriguez now has 1,007 points to his name.
Looking Ahead: Father Judge will play away against St. Joseph’s Prep (7-2, 1-0) at the Kelly Fieldhouse on Friday, Jan. 6 at 3:30PM. Archbishop Wood will also travel on the road Friday to play Archbishop Ryan (10-1, 1-0) at 7PM.
