The Wildcats withstand a 35-point performance by the Cubs' Andrew Horde en route to improving to 6-0.
Senior post Derek Sloan and senior guard Francisco Santiago lead the 'Cats with 20 and 17 points, respectively.
By Eddie Dwyer, Copyright January 2013
Detroit, Michigan - Saint Ignatius head basketball coach Sean O’Toole ’87 described it as a great game for his team in terms of what it learned about itself on Wednesday night at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy.
As for Cubs coach Pat Donnelly, the Rocky River native couldn’t have been prouder of the effort his team put forth in final four minutes.
Coach O’Toole’s Wildcats, leading by 14 points after senior wing Austin Sterpka scored on a driving one-hander with four minutes remaining to be played, held off Detroit Jesuit and its outstanding 5-foot-9 senior guard Andrew Horde, 78-75, in a Motor City thriller.
“That was a great game for us,” said Coach O’Toole, after Saint Ignatius, ranked third in The Plain Dealer’s Top 25 poll, improved to 6-0 heading into Saturday night’s home game against Columbus power Northland (7-0). “They trapped us, they made us make decisions. Talk about a team that doesn’t quit – down 14 with four to go.
“They pushed us to the brink and put us in situations that obviously we need to prepare better for,” Coach O’Toole continued.
Horde, the young man they call “A.J.” at the 135-year-old Jesuit school, fueled his team’s impressive rally by responding to Sterpka’s drive with one of his six 3pointers on the night.
After the Cubs’ promising freshman point guard Cassius Winston hit a basket and made 1 of 2 free throws, Detroit Jesuit trailed, 72-64, with 3:06 to go. Winston, who plays with the savvy of a much more experienced
player, had an 18-point night.
Continuing to bring an aggressive full-court pressure defense that forced several turnovers down the stretch, the Cubs completed an 11-0 run on two free throws by Horde at 2:39 and another ice-in-his-veins
3-pointer that made it a three-point game, 72-69, with 1:52 left.
“I told them that a lot of teams would have packed it in, down 14 with four minutes left,” said Coach Donnelly as the teams and their coaches were breaking bread together after the game. “That is what I am extremely proud of.”
Saint Ignatius, which now stands 4-0 in its meetings with its fellow Jesuit school, ended nearly a three-minute scoring draught when standout senior guard Francisco Santiago came up with a steal and fired an
one-the-money pass to gifted junior guard Kyle Berger for a breakaway layup.
Horde showed he was human with 55.8 seconds remaining, as after he was fouled while attempting another 3-pointer the three-year varsity mainstay made just 1 of 3 free throws.
The Wildcats, clinging to a four-point advantage, scored on a layup by senior post and tri-captain Derek Sloan off another Santiago assist and maintained that six-point advantage after Sloan answered a Horde layup with another strong post-up move with 15.3 seconds left. Derek led the ‘Cats with 20 points, Santiago scored 17 and senior post Alec Papesch and Berger had 10 and 9 points, respectively.
Horde, who hit 11 shots from the field, including the six threes, and was 7-of-11 from the free-throw line, was far from finished.
After burying his sixth trey with 4.3 seconds remaining, Horde forced a jump ball with 2.5 ticks left.
The possession arrow favored the 5-2 Cubs and Horde got his hands on the ball one last time.
With Berger forcing him to take a tough off-balance shot, Horde attempted a game-tying 3-pointer that fell short as time expired.
“The bottom line is that on the road, you know it is going to be extra tight,” Coach O’Toole said. “So you have to be precious with the basketball. You have to be strong with the ball and we didn’t do it. It bothers me how that game ended – some silly fouls and some crazy passes. That cannot happen.
“I want us to play free and loose, and play fast,” Coach O’Toole continued. “But when you have the lead in the fourth quarter, it is layups and free throws and maybe the right guy on the open 3-pointer, maybe. We’re very lucky to get out of here with a victory, that’s for sure.”
During the post-game handshake, Coach O’Toole put his arm around Horde and, with his familiar Irish smile, told the Cubs’ backcourt magician that he has seen enough of him the past three years.
Although the final four minutes were about as intense and exciting as it gets on the high school level, the early stages of the game also provided some memorable moments.
With Horde scoring 11 points in the first eight minutes, Detroit Jesuit led, 15-14, entering the second quarter. After Winston knotted the score at 26 on a floating one-hander in the lane, Saint Ignatius, on the strength of a basket down low by Papesch off an assist from junior point guard Danny Bova, a spinning one-hander along the baseline by Bova and a 3-pointer by Santiago, led, 33-29, at halftime.
The third quarter was a 26-25 shootout won by the Wildcats. Berger, Santiago and 6-5 junior post David Black all buried 3-pointers in the third stanza, with David’s trey coming off the step-out and soft-touch variety.
Saint Ignatius appeared to be taking command after going on a 10-0 run in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter.
But then that kid A.J. wasn’t about to go quietly into the night.
BIG TESTS: After facing Northland in Sullivan Gymnasium on Saturday night (6 jayvees, 7:30 varsity), the Wildcats will turn around less than 24 hours later and take on the tradition-rich Fighting Irish of St. Vincent-St. Mary in Sunday’s Scholastic Play-By-Play Tournament. The tipoff at Baldwin Wallace’s Ursprung Gymnasium will be 2:15 p.m.
The corner will take a look at Northland and SVSM on Thursday night.
COACH LARRY ARTHUR’S JAYVEE ‘CATS STAND 6-0: This 41-32 victory by Saint Ignatius’ junior varsity wasn’t lacking for excitement either, as Detroit Jesuit’s jayvees road two 3-pointers by guard Christopher (Billy)
Thomas and a jumper by forward Kenyon Wilkerson to an 8-6 first-quarter lead.
The Cubs led, 15-11, late in the second quarter before the Wildcats evened it up by halftime on two free throws by sophomore guard Joe Isabella and a highlight-reel, two-handed driving slam dunk down the lane by 6-4 sophomore post Mikal Outcalt.
One of the premier goalies in Ohio for Coach Mike McLaughlin’s nationally acclaimed soccer program, Mikal led the ‘Cats with 12 points.
The third quarter was highlighted by the outstanding hustle and defensive play of 6-3 sophomore forward/post Dre’Mont Jones, who helped Saint Ignatius move to a 27-19 lead.
Holding a five-point advantage entering the fourth quarter, it was another hustle steal by Jones that resulted in two free throws by freshman guard Deven Stover and a seven-point lead. Stover had 11 points.
Detroit Jesuit (3-3) closed to 31-27 on a follow by Thomas and a free throw by guard Matt Schearer, only to watch Outcalt make it a six-point game. Thomas led all scorers with 18 points.
Thomas turned a steal into a layup that cut the deficit to 33-29, but the Wildcats were able to seal the deal down the stretch behind the free-throw shooting of sophomore guard Zach Johnson.