Tuesday night’s boys basketball game between host St. Vincent-St. Mary and Archbishop Hoban featured an Irish 59-57 win in overtime and a whole lot more.
There was a disputed call in overtime, and a couple of clock malfunctions that caused delays at LeBron James Arena.
“Rivalry games, you have to throw all of the records out the window,” St. V-M coach Dru Joyce II said. “They came to play and our guys were ready. … This team has a lot of heart. We have been in situations like this before where we have been down and the mindset is we are going to make a way, and they made a way.”
Irish senior Jayvon Graves dazzled with 28 points, three assists and three steals. Graves scored all four of the St. V-M points in overtime.
“We learned just to keep our composure and stay to our personnel and do what we do,” Graves said. “We have to rebound more. That is definitely what we need, but they gave us a good test. … I’m exhausted.”
Junior Garrett Houser led Hoban (15-2), which had won 15 in a row, with 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Seniors Cartier Bickley (11 points, five rebounds, three assists, three blocks) and Brian Cuppett (10 points) also were solid for Hoban.
“I loved how our guys competed,” Hoban coach T.K. Griffith said. “They showed a ton of heart after getting down [39-29 with 3:42 to go in the third quarter], and then they battled back. We probably should have won the game. We were up six [53-47 with 3:27 to go in the fourth quarter] and had a tough time inbounding the ball, and they got a rebound on a missed free throw that hurt.
“There are a couple of little things here and there that we can do better at the end of the game. We certainly learned a lot, however, we played with a ton of moxie and a ton of confidence. I’m very proud of the effort. … To me, it is a win in a lot of ways, except in the scorebook. I felt we had a winning effort.”
The Irish (13-4) also received solid efforts from senior Justin Sampson (11 points, seven rebounds); sophomores Jordan Addison (five points) and Lunden McDay (four points); junior Scott Walter (four points) and senior Jon Williams (two points, eight assists).
Joyce said he was pleased with his team’s press in the fourth quarter after Hoban’s run.
Junior Collen Gurley capped Hoban’s 16-1 run in the fourth with a personal 7-0 spurt.
“That was one of the greatest basketball atmospheres that I have been a part of when he went on that run,” Griffith said. “That was special. The crowd, the adrenaline and our kids really having faith in each other that they could come back; that right there was worth the price of admission.”
The disputed call occurred with 2:18 to go in overtime when Gurley and Walter collided. Griffith thought the layup should have counted and Walter should have been called for a blocking foul. Joyce thought Walter was set and Gurley charged into him. One ref called a blocking foul and another ref signaled a charge. Following a discussion with the third ref, the call was no foul and St. V-M was given the ball on the alternate possession rule.
Joyce said: “Disputed calls where one ref calls one way and another ref calls the other way, you go to the possession arrow. Fortunately for us, it was in our favor.”
Joyce praised Walter “for putting his nose in there and taking those kind of charges.”
Griffith said he had “never seen that type of call made where they go to the arrow.”
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBeavenABJ.