Anthony DiCaro leads Cherokee past Eastern, 64-52

Anthony DiCaro’s coach said he knew the Cherokee senior guard wasn’t 100 percent in his return from injury because of his foul shooting in the fourth quarter.

“He was hitting the front of the rim,” Cherokee coach Eric Cassidy said Thursday. “That’s not him.”

To be clear, DiCaro was 6-for-6 from the foul line in the final eight minutes as Cherokee put the finishing touches on a 64-52 victory over Eastern in an Olympic Conference American Division clash of Top 10 teams and South Jersey Group 4 contenders.

He was perfect.

He just wasn’t nothing-but-net perfect.

“This was the best I felt all season,” DiCaro said. “I felt good out there and my teammates were picking me up.”

DiCaro scored all 24 of his points in the last three quarters for No. 10 Cherokee (5-2, 2-0 division). He didn’t miss a shot in the second half, going 4-for-4 from the field, including a trio of three-pointers, and 8-for-8 from the foul line.

Cherokee also got a big game from senior guard Damian Smith, who generated 20 points with six rebounds and three steals.

“He’s our rock,” Cassidy said of Smith.

Junior guard Noah Klinewski scored 17 points and senior center Ryan Ems collected 14 points with six rebounds while battling foul trouble for No. 7 Eastern (7-1, 1-1).

“We’re having a good year, so we’ve just got to move on from here,” Eastern coach Kevin Crawford said. “Cherokee is a good team and they don’t beat themselves.”

DiCaro, a 6-foot-3 athlete with a strong handle and a pure shooter’s touch, missed the Chiefs' first four games with a strained groin and hip-flexor injury.

He wanted to battle through the ailment but was held out of action by Cassidy, who feared creating a situation in which the injury nagged at his star guard all season.

“He wanted to kill me,” Cassidy said with a smile.

DiCaro finally took the court Dec. 27 against Penns Grove in Wildwood. He scored three points. He went for 12 points Dec. 29 in a loss to Haverford (Pa.).

“It was tough,” DiCaro said. “I hated sitting out, especially it being my senior year. But I got a different perspective sitting on the bench, watching my teammates.”

DiCaro started slowly on Thursday. He took just one shot in the first quarter, a missed three-point attempt, but his refusal to force the action was a sign of his maturity as well as his confidence in his teammates.

“Last year I forced a lot of shots,” DiCaro said. “This year, I know my teammates can score. I don’t have to force anything.”

DiCaro hit his first three-pointer in the second quarter, then came alive after halftime. He scored 13 in the third quarter, making all three of his attempts from beyond the arc, as the Chiefs seized command.

“He’s only a week back [from the injury]," Cassidy said. "He’s still getting into the flow. But he was tremendous in the second half.

“He goes, we go.”

Cherokee 7 12 17 28 -- 64

Eastern 12 9 9 22 -- 52

C: Anthony DiCaro 24, Olare Olapido 8, Damian Smith 20, Zach Miller 2, Justin Kang 4, Gavin Gibson 6.

E: Ryan Ems 14, Andrew Heck 13, Noah Klinewski 17, Jack Winsett 8, Kevin Lynch 0.