By Eddie Dwyer

 

 Akron, Ohio - The big-hearted 'Cats of Hall of Fame Head Coach Brian Becker turned to the skill and savvy of gifted senior forward Luke Wiskes, some solid play down the stretch by sophomore guard Chase Toppin, key efforts from senior guards Jon Barnes and Neeko Melendez, and a huge momentum-swinging performance from senior forward/guard Josh Ozanne in rallying past the storied Fighting Irish from St. Vincent-St. Mary on the sparkling court inside the house that LeBron built.

 

 Trailing by seven points in the final two minutes, the young men from Cleveland's Jesuit Preparatory School cut the deficit to 58-54 on a nothing-but-net 3-pointer from Wiskes.

 

 After a free throw by the Irish, Wiskes scored off a sweet dish from Toppin and the tension inside St. Vincent-St. Mary's atmosphere-rich facility was heating up as fast as the temperature outside was dropping.

 

 On an afternoon when parts of the Wildcats' game were struggling a bit, their will to win was unflappable.

 

 After forcing a jump ball that wiped out a possession for SVSM and pressuring the Irish into a 5-second violation, Saint Ignatius appeared to have the seven-time state champions from the Rubber City a little rattled.

 

 Following four consecutive missed free throws by St. Vincent-St. Mary, the Wildcats got a free throw from Barnes that was followed by a drop of the ball into the 'Cats' basket that, as far as Saint Ignatius and its faithful were concerned, was much more exciting than the anticipation of that ball that is dropped at the stroke of midnight.

 

 After the first of two free throws by Barnes made it a 59-57 game, Jon's second shot rimmed off and one of SVSM's many gifted post players grab the rebound with one hand. In what was a simultaneous action, Wiskes also went airborne and the contact the two young men made on the ball sent it flying into the basket. Tie score, 59-59, and the two points go to the ever-present Wiskes on a tip in.

 

 Wiskes would go on to score the winning points with 6.6 seconds remaining off two free throws after being fouled on a determined move to the rim off a nice look from Barnes.

 

 "We did not come out playing well in the first quarter, we only had six points," said Wiskes, who finished with a game-high 18 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and had a two-handed slam dunk that helped fuel the Wildcats' offense in the second quarter. "Josh (Ozanne) gave us that big spark in the second quarter. We let it get away a little bit in the third quarter, but then we tightened it down in the fourth quarter."

 

 Trailing, 13-6, after the first eight minutes, the 'Cats' second-quarter offense was fueled by a deep 3-pointer from Melendez, a strong spin move to the rim by Barnes and two baskets from Wiskes, including his rim-rattling slam.

 

 After a Barnes 3-pointer closed the gap to three points, SVSM answered with a basket. Enter Ozanne and Co. 

 

 Saint Ignatius, down by five points, went on an 11-2 run and took a 29-25 lead into the halftime break. It was an impressive late second quarter surge that included an all-business drive to the basket by Toppin, two points from senior forward Aymin Bahhur off an assist from Ozanne, a Bahhur steal that Ozanne converted into a smooth jumper in transition, a steal by Ozanne that Josh finished off with an authoritative breakaway dunk and a 3-pointer by Ozanne.

 

 Following an up-and-down third quarter that saw the Irish take a two-point lead into the final eight minutes and increase that advantage to seven points with the two-minute mark of the fourth quarter at hand, the 'Cats turned their will into a way.

 

 "We beat them here (The LeBron James Arena) without playing our best basketball, so that says something," said Wiskes after the area's 14th-ranked Wildcats improved to 6-2 and won their third consecutive game.

 

 St. Vincent-St. Mary, now 3-4, entered Sunday's game as the area's ninth-ranked team. SVSM, under the direction of highly respected and successful Head Coach Dru Joyce was coming off an overtime loss on the road to the undefeated and top-ranked Bulldogs from Garfield Heights.

 

 FROM COACH BECKER: "We just kept battling back," said Coach Becker. "And we're a much better team than what we showed today. We didn't take care of the basketball very well, but we made some plays down the stretch when we needed to.

 

"I thought our defense helped pick us up and I thought our pressure was very good. Wiskes stepped up really big. When you keep battling, good things are going to happen. That was a grinding game, but it showed what a team we are capable of being. They lost at Garfield Heights in overtime and we beat them here. So that says good things for us."

 

 BY THE NUMBERS: Along with Wiskes' double-double, the Wildcats got 10-point afternoons from Melendez and Barnes, nine points from Ozanne and eight points from Toppin.

 

 Junior guard Lunden McDay led the Irish with 13 points. Gritty and gifted senior guard Scott Walter supported McDay with 12 points, freshman guard Seth Wilson finished with nine points, and Coach Joyce received eight-point efforts from junior guard Chris Painter and sophomore forward Jalen Ross.

 

 Saint Ignatius won the battle of the boards, 35-29, but the 'Cats had 19 turnovers. SVSM turned the ball over 11 times. 

 

 UP NEXT: The 2018 portion of the Wildcats' Varsity schedule begins Friday night at 7:30 versus University School in Father Sullivan Gymnasium and on Saturday Saint Ignatius will board the bus for a 4:30 PM matchup with the Ramblers from Cathedral Prep in Erie (Pa.). This corner will preview the University School and Cathedral Prep games later this week. 

 

 THE JUNIOR VARSITY 'CATS LOSE A TOUGH ONE, 52-50: Saint Ignatius' Jayvees, which lost for the first time in eight games this season, led, 29-21, at halftime.

 

 The now 6-0 JV Irish of SVSM put together a 19-point third quarter and took a 40-38 lead into the final seven minutes.

 

 Saint Ignatius knotted the score at 50 on a putback by multiskilled sophomore post Michael McNamara in the final 28 seconds, but the Irish held on behind a basket from promising freshman guard Austin Rayman.

 

 Wildcats standout sophomore forward/guard Griffin Hanna turned in an 18-point afternoon. Saint Ignatius' Jayvees will face the Junior Varsity program from University School on Friday evening at 6 in Father Sullivan Gymnasium and will travel to Erie (Pa.) on Saturday for a 3 PM matchup with the JV Ramblers from Cathedral Prep.

 

 IF THERE IS ANY CHANGE ON THE TIMES OF THE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL AND CATHEDRAL PREP GAMES, THIS OLD GYM RAT WILL BE SURE TO POST IT.

 

 HERE'S WISHING YOU A WONDERFUL 2018.