In what will be a short turnaround, the Wildcats' varsity basketball team has to gear up for more pressure defense, as Cleveland Heights, fresh off its impressive victory over Shaker Heights, will be at Sullivan Gymnasium on Thursday night.
The 35-0 varsity hockey teams ties the OHSAA single-season record for victories by defeating the Cougars, 4-0. The 'Cats' Men of Ice will play Shaker Heights for the Baron Cup I championship on Sunday evening. The puck is scheduled to drop in Brooklyn's John M. Coyne Recreation Center at 5:30 p.m.
Here is the varsity and junior varsity basketball story. The hockey recap follows the basketball story.
BY EDDIE DWYER
Although his team led by 11 points at halftime on Saturday night, Saint Ignatius head basketball coach Sean O’Toole ’87 said he knew St. Edward was going to make a run.
What Coach O’Toole and his staff didn’t expect, however, was an offensive collapse over the final 12 minutes and 27 seconds that, as Coach O’Toole emphasized, left him “sick to my stomach.”
St. Edward, trailing by eight points with 4:27 remaining in the third quarter, slowed down the ‘Cats’ attack the rest of the way and walked out of Sullivan Gymnasium with a 44-41 victory.
In defeating Saint Ignatius for the second time this season and extending its winning streak over the Wildcats to eight games, the Eagles improved to 11-6. Saint Ignatius, which scored just 13 points in the second half and five over the final eight minutes, is now 12-4.
“Defensively, I thought we were where we needed be, especially in the first half,” said Coach O’Toole of a first 16 minutes that saw the Wildcats handle St. Edward’s trapping defense, control the glass and take a 28-17 lead to the locker room at halftime.
“Obviously, St. Ed’s is a very good team, well coached,” Coach O’Toole continued. “But we just didn’t get good looks. I know we struggled at the line (7 for 17 on free throws), which kills us. Credit their defense. They came and really pressured us.
“At that point (when the Eagles picked up their defensive effort in the second half), we have to work extra hard to come meet passes, have to execute offensively and time things up better. And we did not do it. In the first half, we were handling their pressure and scoring.”
With junior guard Francisco Santiago scoring seven of his game-high 12 points in the first quarter and junior post Alec Papesch and senior guard/forward Eric Williams providing some key baskets, Saint Ignatius had most of the packed house leaning its way in the early going.
The Wildcats weathered a few early second-half charges by the Eagles and held a 35-27 lead at the 4:27 mark of the third quarter.
At that point, St. Edward, ranked 10th in this past week’s Associated Press Division I state poll, found its second wind and outscored Saint Ignatius, 17-6, the rest of the way.
The Eagles, on the strength of five straight points by sophomore forward Tony Vuyancih, including a deep 3-pointer, led, 37-36, entering the final eight minutes.
Saint Ignatius would regain the lead on an athletic move by the 6-foot-6 Papesch that resulted in a three-point play with 5:42 remaining to be played. Papesch finished with 11 points.
The Wildcats took their final lead, 40-39, on a free throw by junior forward/post Derek Sloan with 4:31 to go, but St. Edward rode clutch baskets by senior point guard Mike Newton and senior guard James Crawford to victory. Newton led the Eagles with 10 points.
A free throw by Williams made the score 44-41 with 53.8 seconds left and it stayed that way after Saint Ignatius, with its senior floor general Jack Tupa in foul trouble all night, missed two free throws with 32.9 seconds on the clock and misfired on a couple of desperation 3-pointers over the final 17.5 seconds.
St. Edward was 3-of-7 from the foul line.
“We just didn’t execute,” said Coach O’Toole. “And that’s a crying shame.”
WILDCATS JAYVEES ROLL A SEVEN: Congratulations go out to Saint Ignatius’ junior varsity team, which won its seventh consecutive game by defeating St. Edward, 65-56, on Saturday night. The JV ‘Cats, who now stand 14-2, avenged last month’s loss to the Eagles.
Sophomore guard/wing Dameon Willis Jr. tossed in a game-high 19 points for Saint Ignatius and was complemented by an athletic 14-point effort by sophomore wing Kyle Berger. The Wildcats also got 11 points from 6-6 sophomore post Eric Black and a solid floor game from sophomore point guard Danny Bova.
Those efforts offset what was an outstanding performance by St. Edward sophomore guard Pat Riley, who scored 17 points and hit five 3-pointers.
WILDCATS POWER THEIR WAY TO THE BARON CUP I TITLE GAME.
Four of the veterans showed the way on Saturday evening, as Saint Ignatius defeated Lake Catholic, 4-0, in the semifinals of the tradition-rich Baron Cup at the John M. Coyne Recreation in Brooklyn.
Standout senior center Paddy Spellacy delivered a goal and an assist, gifted senior forward Liam Geither added to his school record by lighting the lamp for the 54th time this winter, underrated senior forward Colton Riemenschneider slapped home two goals and senior goalie Matt Kovesdy was in shutout city for the ninth time.
Geither and Riemenschneider followed Spellacy’s athletic goal with power-play efforts and the ‘Cats' specialties were purring.
With the victory, Saint Ignatius improves its perfect mark to 35-0 and advances to Sunday evening’s Baron Cup I championship game against the red-hot Shaker Heights Raiders (22-5-1). The puck will drop at 5:30 in the Coyne Recreation Center. The corner will join the SIBN in covering what we are anticipating to be the Wildcats’ first Baron Cup title since 1992.
Saint Ignatius has defeated Shaker Heights twice this season, 8-0 and 3-1.