Vassar junior Colton Fabbro, trying to reach the basket earlier this year between Reese defenders, scored a career-high 28 points Monday night to lead the Vulcans past Nouvel Catholic Central.
By Tom Gilchrist
Sports Editor
SAGINAW TWP. — Opponents tend to play zone defense against Vassar’s boys basketball team, which features 6-foot-6 center Tyler Humpert patrolling near the rim and point guard Blake Ruppal slashing to the basket.
Nouvel Catholic Central’s Panthers tried that Monday night, too, and Colton Fabbro made them pay.
Fabbro scored a career-high 28 points as the Vulcans beat Nouvel on the road, 58-53. Fabbro made five of nine 3-point shots, and connected on eight of his 16 total field-goal attempts.
“Everybody wants to play zone defense on us because of Blake Ruppal and Tyler Humpert,” said Vassar coach Chuck Fabbro. “Blake can get downhill to the basket on just about anybody, so Colton gets his looks, and Colton knocked (his shots) down against Nouvel.”
The Vulcans led 30-25 at halftime but Nouvel tied the game at 41-41 as time expired in the third quarter on a successful 3-point shot at the buzzer from beyond half court.
Vassar steadied itself in the final quarter, though, connecting on six of six free throws in the final minute to seal the victory, with Fabbro, Ruppal and Humpert each hitting a pair of foul shots at that time.
Humpert scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the victory. Another Vassar junior, Evan Wilcox, hauled down a team-high 10 rebounds and scored seven points. The Vulcans outrebounded Nouvel, 38-17.
Tino Rosales led Nouvel with 23 points and Panther teammate Jason Russell added 15. At halftime, though, Colton Fabbro had 20 of Vassar’s 30 total points, nailing all five of his 3-pointers in the first half.
“We have to have kids knock down shots, and that’s kind of Colton’s role,” said Chuck Fabbro, who is Colton Fabbro’s father.
The coach credited Ruppal — who notched six assists in the game — for penetrating to the basket and passing the ball out to Colton Fabbro for open shots.
“Colton has put in a ton of time working on his shots,” the Vassar coach said of his son. “I’ve never hit a 3-pointer in my life. He’s had to overcome genetics.”
Vassar, now 12-4 overall and 4-3 in the Greater Thumb Conference West Division, hosts Bay City All Saints on Friday night for the school’s Icefest celebration.