BY ZACH SMART
SPRINGFIELD, MASS–This was before a standing room only crowd at Springfield College.
Fittingly, fans were treated to a pulsating 56-53 Stepinac victory over IMG Academy (FL) in an absolute thriller.
With the score deadlocked at 50-50, Hassan Koureissi set his feet and fired in a straight-on 3-pointer with one minute, 21 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Fordham-bound Koureissi drew a foul on the shot, absorbing a bump from an IMG defender which sent him spiraling to the floor upon the made 3.
At the line with the opportunity for a wild four-point play, the biggest point of the night suddenly fell on the Harlem native’s shoulders.
A weathered senior in a deep, star spangled 2026 class which has dealt with its fair share of injuries, Koureissi didn’t flinch.
The 6-foot-5 senior guard, who shot 82 percent from the free throw line two seasons ago as a sophomore, calmly sank the FT.
And so the Crusaders seized a 54-50 edge during the marquee matchup between two of the country’s most prominent programs.
Koureissi’s clutch four-point play, however, did all but thwart the formidable Florida foe’s momentum.
Jermal Jones, a versatile guard headed to Pittsburgh, stuck a 3-pointer on the move to slice the deficit back to one, 54-53.
It was–surprise, surprise–Koureissi who closed the deal with a pair of free throws moments later.
“Hassan has been tremendous for us over the last couple years and even more so as a senior,” said Stepinac head coach Pat Massaroni.
“He continues to get better and better. And, in my opinion is not talked about enough on the national level.”
University of Southern California-signee Darius Ratliff will continue to be talked about after this one.
Stepinac’s multi-layered 7-footer showed his smooth, floor-spreading shooting touch and finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, and six blocks.
Kouressi’s scoring prowess was a crucial element for Stepinac’s success during the prestigious City of Palms Classic down in Fort Myers, Fla. last month.
He turned in a 32-point game, splashing heavily contested 3s and elbow jumpers during a thorough third quarter barrage en route to a victory over Bartlett HS (TN).
Less than a month after a down to the wire loss to Paul VI, Stepinac is back among the upper crust of the nation’s elite teams with a win of this magnitude.
“Beating IMG Academy is a massive win,” Massaroni said.
“Not only for our school and program but the (CHSAA “AA”) league and NY State.”
Koureissi and this ultra-deep, weathered Stepinac squad (they were able to play 13 guys comfortably during City of Palms) has dealt with adversity many times before.
In fact, the Crusaders came roaring back from a six-point deficit with 58.5 seconds left to force overtime during the CHSAA “AA” city championships against St. Raymond’s last year, gutting out a memorable 63-61 OT victory.
“We stayed composed,” said Koureissi of his team following the resume-bolstering victory over IMG.
“Being with these guys for four years now, there hasn’t been a situation I feel like we haven’t been in. On the court, throughout practice, and in games. It has helped us stay together and counter any of (the opponent’s) runs.”
Braving the cold and seeking a signature national victory, Koureissi and his teammates had some extra juice for this matchup.
“We wanted to win real bad, especially with IMG being ranked ahead of us,” Koureissi said.
” Our goal is to get to Chipotle Nationals. So, beating a Top-15 team in the country was something that was needed to be done. And, it got done.”
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