Central tops Toronto in 3OT thriller for first win of the season
Clutch shooting, timely defense the difference in Friday instant classic
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TORONTO -- Like a couple of bunnies from a battery commercial, Catholic Central and Toronto just kept going and going and going Friday inside the George J. Kunzler Memorial Gymnasium.
When everything was said and done, the Crusaders, thanks to some clutch shooting and a couple of defensive stops, cracked the win column for the first time this season, taking down their Jefferson County rivals 56-49 in triple overtime.
"At our place earlier in the season, it was a good game and Toronto pulled one out (the Red Knights won round one 50-47). It took us three overtimes but we were fortunate enough to come out on top," said Central coach Don Ogden. "I'm just so happy for our kids because it's tough on kids when they try so hard and work so hard then the fruits of their labor fail to come forward.
"Tonight, they persevered and we came out on top. I couldn't be happier for them and the effort they gave me."
Both teams were as cold as the weather outside during the opening period -- the Crusaders grabbing a 4-3 lead.
Central's Andrew Dorsey opened the second by drilling a 3-pointer and teammate Daniel Bolster followed with a deuce. The visitors led 12-8 before Toronto put together a run.
A triple by Jayce Nett and Kam Baker's hoop at the buzzer allowed the Red Knights to grab a 13-12 lead at the intermission.
Central's George Harris opened the third with a couple of free throws then Bolster connected from behind the arc. Ogden's crew outscored Toronto 12-3 and led 24-16 heading into the final eight minutes.
A Dorsey put back made it 27-20 Crusaders but Sean Tucker's Red Knights answered with a 6-0 run. A Baker hoop finished the spurt and the score was 27-26. Evan Long made a couple of free throws to extend the lead.
Baker then swished a 3-ball to force the first overtime.
Baker connected from downtown to start the extra period then Central's Benji Rook answered. Rook added a pair following a steal and Tommy Pergi knocked down a free toss to make it 35-32. Baker turned a defensive steal into two points but Evan Long responded with a 3-pointer.
Toronto's Blake Close tied things at 37 with a triple of his own. Free throws by each team kept things and put the contest into a second OT.
Neither team could pull away in the second extra session. Charity stripe make by Close and Bolster sent the contest into a third overtime with the score knotted at 43.
Central grabbed the lead for good on a put back by Dorsey and two Bolster makes from the line. Toronto cut the lead to two a couple of times but free throw conversions allowed the Crusaders to pull away and seal the deal.
"We've shown all year that we don't do real well running a slow-down offense," Tucker said. "They slowed us down and we scored three points in the first quarter then didn't score for until there were about four minutes left in the second quarter. So we almost didn't score for a total of eight minutes. We knew what defense they were going to run and we worked really, really hard on breaking that defense. That falls on me. If you don't have them prepared to beat that defense, then it's not on the kids -- it's on the coach. I thought we worked on it hard but we must not have worked hard enough.
"Our pressure is something we did really well with leading up to the summer and stuff. Tonight kind of simulated what we did in the summer. We didn't have Shane (Keenan) in the summer and we didn't have Shane tonight (the talented senior missed the contest with an illness). If we play and force teams to play, obviously they are going to score but we also are going to score. We are not the kind of team that sit and think but we are reactors. When we react well, then we can go score and relax a little."
Three Crusaders finished in double figures and a fourth just missed. Bolster tallied a team-leading 14 points while Long and Dorsey evenly divided 22. Rook finished with 9.
"We pretty much give a lot of our guys a green light," Ogden said. "Our rule is if it is a shot you can make, a shot in your repertoire take it as long as you have the room and the rhythm and there is not a higher percentage shot available.
"In the beginning, both teams were very cold then things warmed up. This is what these kids play the game for--the competition and games like this. When you come out on top, you feel so good about yourself."
Central finished 21 of 29 from the line and was 15 of 20 during the fourth quarter and the three overtimes.
"Free throws certainly made a difference tonight," Ogden said. "We shot them very well particularly in the third overtime. The last time we played Toronto, we were 5 for 21 in foul shooting and that was the difference we felt.
"Tonight we made some foul shots and were able to come out on top."
Toronto's Baker took game-scoring honors with 16. Close had 9 and Cayden Benton 8 for the Red Knights, who fell to 5-7.
"The ball was in the hands of sophomores a lot tonight obviously because Shane is down and Nathan (Chociej) fouled out," Tucker said. "You have five sophomores out there giving everything they have and I am really proud of them. It was a great high school basketball game. The kids left their hearts out there on the floor.
"The bottom line is we can't score and it's not like we don't work at it. It's not like we don't shoot 500 shots a practice because we do. We have yet to transition what we do in practice into a game. Sometimes you are digging yourselves out of a hole and it shows. In that final overtime, we got too deep in a hole and couldn't dig ourselves out.
"The kids worked so hard and played so hard. They played their hearts out and that's what we wanted to see particularly after what we endured the other night at Madonna. We have to learn to score the basketball and we have to want to."
The now 1-10 Crusaders snared 49 rebounds to 43 for the Red Knights. Dorsey pulled down 14 and Bolster 10 to give both a double-double. Toronto's Benton collected 10.
ANOTHER FIRST
Central's junior varsity squad also tasted victory for the initial time this season with its 27-26 triumph.
Benedict Urbanczyk paced the Crusaders with 8 points. His fourth quarter 3-pointer gave Central the lead for good.
Toronto's Jayce Nett took game-scoring honors with 12. Aiden Filby contributed 11.
UP NEXT
Both teams return to the hardwood Tuesday.
Central entertains Jefferson County Christian while the Red Knights will travel to Conotton Valley.
Catholic Central 56, Toronto 49
Central 4 8 12 5 9 5 13--56
Toronto 3 10 3 13 9 5 6--49
CENTRAL (1-10): Long 3 5-6 11; Rook 3 2-3 9; Pergi 0 5-8 5; Dorsey 4 2-4 11; Bolster 4 5-6 14; Harris 0 2-2 2; Grimm 1 0-0 2; Bradley 1 0-0- 2. TOTALS: 16 21-29 56.
TORONTO (5-7): Chociej 1 0-4 2; Dickinson 1 0-0 2; Karaffa 2 1-4 6; Baker 6 2-4 16; Mick 0 0-2 0; Ensell 0 1-2 1; Close 2 4-4 9; Benton 4 0-1 8; Filby 1 0-0 2; Nett 1 0-0 3. TOTALS: 18 8-21 49.
3-POINT GOALS: Central 3 (Rook, Dorsey, Bolster); Toronto 5 (Baker 2, Karaffa, Close, Nett); REBOUNDS: Central 49 (Dorsey 14; Bolster 10); Toronto 43 (Benton 10; Close 7; Chociej 7); TURNOVERS: Central 24; Toronto 28.