The Tigers improve to 15-2, but lose standout point guard Tyree Gaiter to a broken wrist in the final minute.
Saint Ignatius is now 12-5 heading into Saturday night's game at Villa Angela-St. Joseph.
Wildcats jayvees win their eighth straight and now stand 15-2.
*Here is the varsity game story, a JV recap and a few other tidbits for the weekend.
BY EDDIE DWYER, COPYRIGHT FEBRUARY 2012
After his team experienced its third consecutive tough loss, Saint Ignatius head basketball coach Sean O’Toole ’87 said his Wildcats have to find a way to get easier shots.
Coach O’Toole then emphasized how physical Thursday night’s 63-58 setback to the Cleveland Heights Tigers was and that the way he saw it, his team came up a little short in that department.
“I have to watch it (on film),” Coach O’Toole said. “I know our guys are trying to do things the right way. But it’s physical, and we’re not matching the physicality.
“I like a physical basketball game,” Coach O’Toole continued. “So I’m just going to have to teach my kids to be more physical. Right now, we’re not matching the physicality of the teams we are playing.”
In what was an intense, sometimes fast-paced, sometimes sloppy and sometimes well-played game, Saint Ignatius, on the strength of a transition layup by junior guard Francisco Santiago off a block by junior forward/post Derek Sloan and a Bill Walton-like assist from junior post Alec Papesch, led, 48-47, in the fourth quarter. Santiago paced the Wildcats with 18 points and also had a crowd-pleasing block in the first half.
It was at that point, Cleveland Heights, the second-ranked team in the area and the ninth-ranked Division I program in Ohio, was able to pick up the pace and go on a decisive 13-3 run in front of a large and spirited crowd at Sullivan Gymnasium. It was, said Coach O'Toole, an example of Saint Ignatius' inability to score when it needs to score.
Senior wing Najeeb Johnson fueled the Tigers’ fire with a 3-pointer that was followed by a layup from senior forward Kojo Lockhart and a free throw from senior post Kevin Clark that pushed Cleveland Heights’ lead to 53-48 with 3 minutes and 20 seconds remaining to be played.
After Papesch and Sloan each connected on 1 of 2 free-throw attempts, Saint Ignatius trailed, 53-50.
The Tigers, who are seeded No. 1 at the talent-rich Solon sectional/district, responded with a jumper by hard-nosed sophomore guard Marcus Bagley. Following a free throw by Wildcats senior point guard Jack Tupa, Saint Ignatius missed two shots in front of the rim.
Those two close-range misfires turned out to be crucial, as Cleveland Heights would go on to a free throw by its outstanding senior point guard Tyree Gaiter, a steal by Gaiter that he converted into a layup and another steal by Gaiter that saw him fouled as he soared to the basket. Tyree briefly grabbed the net and landed hard on the floor under the Lorain Avenue basket with 59 seconds left.
"Obviously, you never want to see anyone get injured," said Coach O'Toole. "He's a great player and I love competing against him. I hate to see him go down."
Gaiter, who finished with a game-high 20 points, was assisted from the floor by Saint Ignatius’ outstanding Head Trainer Hank Gaughan ATC. Cleveland Heights' veteran assistant coach Chuck Lamb told this corner just minutes after the game that he feared Gaiter's wrist was broken and Coach Lamb's fears became a reality. It appears the dynamic Gaiter is out for the remainder of the season.
The Wildcats were whistled for an intentional foul on the play that resulted in Gaiter’s injury and the Tigers were awarded two free throws and possession of the ball. Cleveland Heights led, 60-51, after sophomore guard Delaunte Davis twice went 1 of 2 from the charity stripe.
While there was definitely a foul on Gaiter's move to the basket, this old-timer didn't see it as being intentional. The defender was playing the ball.
Saint Ignatius, ranked 11th in the area, wasn’t about to call it a night.
Behind two free throws and a jumper by Tupa, the Wildcats closed to 60-55 with 29 seconds to go.
Cleveland Heights answered with two free throws by Lockhart and the Tigers withstood a late 3-pointer by senior guard Brian Joseph.
Bagley supported Gaiter with 12 points, Sloan and Tupa followed Santiago by each scoring 11 points and Papesch totaled 10 points. The Tigers were 14-of-25 from the free-throw line and Saint Ignatius connected on 18 of its 24 attempts from the charity stripe. Cleveland Heights led, 15-14, after the first quarter, 30-27 at halftime and 46-43 entering the final eight minutes.
Saturday night, the ‘Cats will travel to Viking Village to face a Villa Angela-St. Joseph team that is 11-7 and ranked 17th in The Plain Dealer’s Top 25 seven-county poll. Coach Babe Kwasniak's Vikings are led by 6-foot-8, 240-pound junior post and three-year varsity mainstay Demonte Flannigan, who has totaled 59 points in his last three games combined. Among the Vikings’ other standouts is versatile senior guard Karl Garner.
The Vikings are coming off Friday night's impressive 64-48 victory at St. Peter Chanel (15-3), a game in which Flannigan scored 19 points and was a shot-changing force inside.
TALENT, VERSATILITY, BALANCE AND DEPTH – THEY ALL ADD UP TO AN EIGHTH CONSECUTIVE VICTORY BY THE WILDCATS’ 15-2 JAYVEE TEAM.
With 5:34 remaining in the first quarter, Saint Ignatius’ gifted 6-4 freshman Jaylin McDonald came up with a big-time block that was so authoritative that the ball landed in the hands of Wildcats savvy sophomore point guard Danny Bova, who converted it into a breakaway layup and 6-1 Wildcats lead.
That play by McDonald set the tempo for the rest of the quarter and the rest of the game, as Saint Ignatius went on to a 70-47 victory over Cleveland Heights’ jayvees on Thursday night in Sullivan Gym.
After sophomore wing Isiah Barbra drained a smooth jumper off the dribble and hit two free throws off his second-effort offensive rebound, and sophomore guard Matt Ivancic scored off a driving breakaway layup, the ‘Cats led, 16-5. Jacob Strippy’s follow helped Saint Ignatius to a 20-8 advantage entering the second quarter.
It was more of the same in the second quarter, as McDonald scored down low off an assist from 6-6 sophomore post Eric Black. The Wildcats continued to prowl both backboards and started to pull away to a commanding lead.
Helping feed a 34-16 halftime advantage were a layup by Black off a picture-perfect assist from sophomore wing Kyle Berger, a no-look assist from Berger to McDonald, a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Ryan Napoli and a layup by sophomore wing Dameon Willis Jr. off a dish from Bova.
Saint Ignatius took total control in the third quarter behind a clever hook shot in the lane by McDonald, a 3-pointer by Berger, another trey from Napoli, a layup by Strippy off an assist from sophomore guard Steve McDonnell and a coast-to-coast basket by Barbra.
Fifteen Wildcats hit the scoring column. McDonald and Black each tossed in eight points to lead the scoring barrage.
*As we reported on the corner Wednesday afternoon, we want to wish good luck to our swimming and diving team at the Cleveland State University district on Friday, to our wrestling team, which begins sectional competition on Friday night at North Royalton and of course, our “Men of Ice,” the 36-0 Wildcats varsity hockey team, which begins its postseason run on Monday, Presidents’ Day, against the Padua Bruins at Brooklyn’s John M. Coyne Recreation Center. The puck will drop at 6 p.m.
*And speaking of hockey and swimming, the corner congratulates Wildcats outstanding senior goalie Matt Kovesdy and standout sophomore swimmer Peter Simcox for garnering Plain Dealer Player of the Week honors.
*Saint Ignatius’ All-Ohio defensive end Kevin Kavalec ’13 will be enjoying visits to Wake Forest and Duke this weekend. I hope Mike Buddie ’89 takes good care of Kevin at Wake Forest. Mike is an Associate Athletic Director for the Demon Deacons.