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No Foul! Lopes Hangs Up
Whistle on Own Terms
By Bernie Beglane
The Big East Conference…the Atlantic Coast Conference…the Southeastern Conference! It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Tom Lopes took time out from the festivities of the 74th Annual Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Haggerty Award Dinner at The Meadowlands to talk about his career as a college official.
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| Black and White referee stripes suited Tom Lopes for 40 seasons in the collegiate ranks. |
A career – rather an avocation – from which the former Keansburg (N.J.) Superintendent of Education has retired after 40 seasons in the collegiate ranks.
The scribes, in recognition of Lopes’ achievements – he was selected for three NCAA Final Fours including this recently-concluded season’s in Atlanta where he was an alternate for all three games – presented him with the Distinguished Service Award.
More about other awardees later. Time now to recall Tom becoming a referee.
“I tried out for the basketball team at Fairmount State (he graduated from the West Virginia school in 1966) all four seasons, but never made the team,” is the way Lopes began his explanation.
“After missing out as a senior, the coach, Jo Jo Retton, said to me, ‘You love basketball so much you should try to become a referee’.”
Retton, incidentally may be a familiar name to you. He is the uncle of Mary Lou Retton, the Olympic gymnast who earned five medals in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. She was the first U.S. woman to win a gold medal in that specialty.
Tom took the coach’s advice and launched his whistle tooting in high school junior varsity games.
His fee, believe it or not, was $2.50.
Lopes joined the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials for the 1967-68 season and advanced to the Collegiate Basketball Officials Association in 1972.
“I started out in Division III and worked my way up,” continued Tom. “Some new conferences, including the Big East, were formed and that helped as more referees were needed.
“As they say, you have to be lucky as well as being good.”
Whether he called it luck or being good, Lopes, a graduate of Red Bank (New Jersey) Catholic H.S., was selected for his first NCAA Tournament in 1987.
That was the start of his 20-year streak that ended in Atlanta.
Asked if any one game stood out in his career, Tom replied, “Louisiana State against Loyola Marymount in the 1987-88 season.
“Paul Westhead was the Loyola coach and Dale Brown guided LSU. Brown’s team prevailed, 148-141, in overtime. That game got me into the Southeastern Conference
“The following season I also was selected for the Big East and the Atlantic Coast Conference. As I said, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
As happy and proud as Lopes is for having worked in three of the most renowned conferences in the country, he is quick to point out that he also has officiated in all but one championship game of the lower-ranked Northeast Conference.
“I had a conflict with the Big East that one year,” said Tom.
“It was Edgar Cartotto, the Northeast’s supervisor of officials, incidentally, who submitted my name to the NCAA.”
Why is Lopes, who will turn 65 in July, hanging up his whistle?
“I still am in very good shape,” was the reply of Lopes who was a special education teacher in the Keansburg School District before entering administration.
“In season I run every day in addition to exercising. To be honest with you, I have had people ask me that same question.”
And his answer?
“I wanted to go out on my own terms,” he began. “You know when it’s time to go.
“This season was a great one – Duke and Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden was early on. And it went from there.”
While Tom will not be blowing the whistle next season, basketball will still remain a big part of his life.
“I have been the executive director of the CBOA for the last 12 years,” he explained, “and I will continue in that role. We have 700 referees in the organization.
“And I also will continue to conduct clinics and work at camps as I have been doing all along.”
Before heading to the dais to accept his award, Lopes made sure to mention his wife, Nancy.
“Without her I would not have been able to achieve as much as I did as a referee,” stated Tom.
“We just celebrated our 40th anniversary, so she supported me from almost the first day I began.
“Nancy was the one who got our three children to school and every other place they had to be when I was on the road.”
Joining Tom as recipients of the Distinguished Service Award were Chris Monasch, athletic director of St. John’s University, and Larry Schiner, the AD at New Jersey City College (formerly Jersey City State).
Jared Jordan, a senior guard from Marist College, earned the Haggerty Award as the leading Division I player.
Matt Brady, his coach, received the Peter A. Carlesimo Award as the Coach of the Year.
Joining Jordan on the all-Met first team were Lamont Hamilton of St. John’s; Eugene Harvey of Seton Hall; Jason Thompson of Rider.
Also, Loren Stokes and Antoine Agudio, Hofstra’s outstanding backcourt duo.
Kia Vaughn, sophomore center who averaged 12.8 points and 9.3 rebounds in leading Rutgers to a second-place finish in the NCAA playoffs, collected Player of the Year honors to top the women’s awardees. Completing the all-Met first team were Kia Wright of St. John’s; Martina Weber of Iona; Mykeema Ford of Stony Brook.
Also, Cara Wright of Army and Essence Carson of Rutgers.
Dave Magarity of Army received the Maggie Dixon Coach of the Year Award named in memory of his former player who died after the conclusion of the 2005-06 season.
St. Bernadette’s Knights Win Kings Bay Novice Championship
By Greg Rando
The Dyker Heights Athletic Association Knights from St. Bernadette’s parish won the Novice division championship defeating Kings Bay, 27-23, at the Kings Bay gym.
Coach John DeAngelo proudly pointed out that his team managed to “gut” out a difficult victory against a very determined opponet.
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| St. Bernadette’s Novice Knights |
The Knights fell behind early in the game with Kings Bay scoring the first 10 points and building what appeared to be an insurmountable lead. Kings Bays’ height advantage was crucial in limiting the Knights to one shot per possession and building their early lead.
The Knights, however, fought back and cut the Kings Bay lead to 16-10 at halftime.
Coach DeAngelo and his assistant, Victor Caggiano, encouraged their players to “run the floor” and penetrate the tough Kings Bay defense every chance they had the ball.
Second Half Comeback
In the second half, the Knights came out needing a big basket to narrow the six-point deficit. They got it from Jonathan Rando who drilled a big three pointer.
The Knights began running the floor as instructed and they were getting high percentage shots allowing them to finally knot tie Kings Bay at 19.
Clutch baskets by guards Joe Caggiano (nine points.), Michaelangelo Anastasio (five points) and Rando (nine points) fueled the comeback.
Center Khalid Mascoll was dominating the boards, blocking shots and stealing the ball, in the second half. Cody Mangano (three points), played the game of his life, as he was all over the court making steals, grabbing rebounds and making excellent passes to his teammates.
The frontline defense received big plays from guards Michael Fanelli, Michael Galbo and Richie Napolitano who stopped the Kings Bay Guards from penetrating and scoring. Forward Matt Cusumano played tough under the boards to grab some key rebounds.
With about a minute left in the game, Anastasio broke a 23-23 tie with the game-winning basket. The Knights’ tough defense caused a few turnovers to prevent a Kings Bay comeback and then Mangano sealed the victory with a clutch basket.
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