Once in a great while, you see a game that is so spectacular, it becomes permanently burned into your memory.  You know, games like Falls/Fairport in '06, Depew/Lafayette in '07, and McKinley/South in '09.  I can now add last night's Section V thriller between Aquinas and Bishop Kearney to that list.

 

Everything about the game last night was memorable.  I arrived at Aquinas just after 6 pm and followed a convoy of cars making their way into the parking lot.  Signs on each side of the driveway leading in read SOLD OUT.  As I entered the packed foyer, there was an immediate buzz that comes with a bigtime game.  Beyond the staff taking tickets or checking you off the media list, there was a large stand selling Aquinas apparel next to a guy selling tickets to the rematch at Blue Cross Arena on February 1st.

 

Once I got myself into the gymnasium, I introduced myself to Aquinas AD Anthony Bianchi.  After explaining who I was and why I had made the trip, he was kind enough to set me up in a padded chair at the best seat in the house…court side and centercourt! 

 

Once seated, I was able to look around and take it all in.  The place was just jam-packed with plenty of support for both teams.  Each side had a large student section and each baseline was filled with a loud and proud two-row cheerleading section. 

 

1st Quarter

Bishop Kearney jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the game's first minute by hitting its first three shots.  Aquinas got on the scoreboard at the 5:47 mark and answered back with six straight.  After trading buckets, BK built a 15-8 lead before AQ netted the last basket of the quarter.  BK standout, 6-7 Thomas Bryant, was kept off the scoresheet in the first eight minutes, but was active on the boards and blocked three shots.  Canisius commit, 6-7 Phil Valenti, scored six of AQ's eight points.

BK led 15-10 at the end of the first quarter

 

2nd Quarter

Bryant opened the scoring in the second to put BK up 17-10.  AQ scored the next five points and kept BK from scoring again until just 2:30 remained in the half.  After a field goal by Valenti cut the BK lead to 21-19, Kings guard Redell Freeman scored the final four points of the half.  After being involved in a double-technical foul call, Bryant headed to the locker room with three fouls and just two points.  AQ senior guard Christian White had trouble getting his shot to fall and was held scoreless in the half. 

BK led 25-19 at halftime

 

3rd Quarter

BK opened the quarter on a 7-1 run and around the four minute mark, Antwoine Anderson scored to give the Kings their largest lead of the game at 36-23.  With just 1:34 left in the quarter, AQ scored its first field goal of the stanza, a 3-pointer from White, which was also his first points of the evening.  It served as a spark for the Lil Irish, who then got a stop, and came right back with another long-range bomb from Kyron Allen.  AQ had closed out the quarter on a 9-0 run and were right back in the game.  Bryant went to the bench with 4:16 left in the quarter after picking up his fourth personal, with just four points.  Teammate Alvin English was also called for his fourth foul with 42 seconds left in the frame.

BK led 36-32 at the end of the third quarter

 

4th Quarter

A jumper by Freeman, followed by a steal and dunk from Anderson pushed the BK lead back to eight points, 40-32.  The action really began to heat up when White drilled his second 3-pointer at the 5:25 mark.  English answered it with a traditional three-point play, prompting White to can another from downtown, making it 46-42.  After BK notched the next three points, a strong inside move from Valenti with three minutes to play turned out to be a sign of things to come.  BK moved back in front 51-44, before Valenti willed his team's comeback.  Valenti scored the next three field goals in the game and grabbed a crucial offensive rebound following a missed free throw.  He had brought the Lil Irish all the way back and tied the game at 51-51.  However, Bryant got free under the basket and flushed one with 18 seconds to go.  Trailing by two in the game's final seconds, AQ looked to Valenti once again, who responded with an overtime-forcing basket with seven ticks left in regulation. Valenti had scored all ten of his fourth quarter points in the last three minutes.

The game was tied, 53-53, at the end of regulation

 

1st OT

Valenti sank a free throw to start OT and it was the first time AQ had led the entire game.  English was on the bench having fouled out in regulation and Bryant continued to play carefully with four fouls.  But in the first two minutes, BK converted a pair of three-point plays and by the 1:35 mark, had built a 63-57 lead.  With just 25 seconds left, White hit a free throw and then watched his second miss and rebound into the hands of Valenti.  AQ connected on two more charity tosses from Allen, cutting the score to 63-60.  After BK's Anderson missed both of his attempts from the line, White took the ball straight to the hole to make it 63-62 with seven seconds on the clock.  Bryant then converted a pair of free throws that should have sealed the game for the Kings.  Instead, White drew an unneccessary foul in the backcourt and made it 65-64 BK with four seconds left.  After Bryant hit one of two from the line with three seconds left, AQ inbounded needing a miracle to survive…or another backcourt foul.  This time, with just :00.6 (point six seconds), White got a call from the refs at the same spot trying to get in over halfcourt.  He went to the line and sank them both.

The game was tied 66-66 after the first overtime

 

2nd OT

White scored to open the second OT and you could just tell that AQ had taken the lead for good.  With 2:04 left, Valenti and Bryant were hit with a double-foul, which disqualified Bryant.  Anderson scored five points in the session and twice pulled BK to within a point, but it wasn't to be.  The surest sign that AQ was meant to take this one was Jarron Jones sending a free throw in high off the glass, and then swishing his second.  BK was unable to get off a desperation '3' late and Valenti scored off a steal to seal the win.

Final Score after double overtime:  Aquinas 76, Bishop Kearney 71

 

Valenti finished with a game-high 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.  White added 18 points after not scoring until late in the third quarter.

 

Anderson led BK with 19 points.   Bryant scored 15 points and blocked six shots, and Stanley Foster  chipped in 14 points.

 

** Some game notes

– BK was without 6-10 junior standout Chinonso Obokoh

– Bob Huggins was in attendance, scouting BK freshman Thomas Bryant

– It was a lot of fun watching AQ's Jahmahl Pardner and BK's Antwoine Anderson, a pair a gifted athletes, guard each other throughout the game.

– Future Notre Dame defensive lineman Jarron Jones set a pick on Anderson in the first quarter that dropped him to the floor.  Anderson may have been better off running into the wall.

– Thomas Bryant and Phil Valenti had a pre-tip stare down like you would see prior to a UFC fight. 

–  AQ runningback Billy Lombardi has a little brother who looks like the toughest twelve year old I've ever seen.

– BK starts a freshman (Bryant) and a sophomore (Foster) and has a JV team that could probably win a state championship in Class D.

– I highly recommend the rematch!

 

 

-centercourt