By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — With 6:32 remaining in the fourth quarter of Friday’s matchup of longtime rivals, Aquinas head coach John McCauley signaled for a timeout.
In less than two minutes of game time, the Li’l Irish’s largest lead of the second half (eight points) had been turned into a deficit.
McCauley gathered his players in a huddle and reminded them of pre-game discussions.
Two possessions later, Aquinas had a lead it did not surrender.
Justin Johnson netted five straight points. Myles Blackwood posted a double-double, and AQ downed McQuaid, 66-64.
“During that timeout,” McCauley said. “I just told them ‘everybody take a deep breath. Let’s go on a run, and let’s take this thing over.’”
Trailing 54-51, Johnson drilled a 3-pointer from the right side. After the AQ defense got a stop at the opposite end of the floor, Johnson hit a step back jumper near the free throw line.
“He was struggling all game,” McCauley noted. “For him to come out in the fourth quarter and do that was everything. That timeout was good for him.”
The buckets were Johnson’s only production of the game. Aquinas led 56-54.
“We lost to them in football,” Johnson said recalling the Class AA final last month. “I wanted to get it back in basketball. As a senior, I wanted to step up, try to take a big role and score.”
Blackwood hauled in 10 rebounds. None bigger than a trio of caroms he secured in the final minute.
“I had to have a dog mentality and want it more than the opponent,” the sophomore said. “I had to go and get it. I wanted it more for my team.”
The sophomore grabbed a pair of offensive rebounds and then secured a tie up in another situation.
“I think we wanted it more,” Blackwood said. “Our coaches told us to ‘keep our heads up and everything will work out if we play together.”
The fourth quarter rally wasn’t the only one of the game for Aquinas. The Li’l Irish began the contest with five turnovers in their first eight possessions. Starting forward Steve Mahar picked up his second foul less than three minutes after the opening tip. Sophomore Jack Bleier went to the bench with his second infraction three minutes after that.
Aquinas trailed 9-2 in the early going.
“I was kinda hoping we’d start a little bit better,” McCauley said with a grin. “In big games, that’s how it happens sometimes. We still have a young team. They’re not used to this environment yet. For us to start like that, I knew if we could just settle down, get a shot, get a stop. I knew once that first adrenaline rush wore off, I knew we could settle in and start playing some good basketball, and we did despite being in foul trouble for the first half.”
Wesley Henderson III paced AQ with 18 points for the night. The junior gave the Li’l Irish their first lead at 19-18. Henderson’s lay in with 5:02 to go in the second quarter spotted AQ its largest lead of the first half at 26-20. Blackwood grabbed his own rebound and scored two of his 11 points to keep the lead at six at 28-22.
Up and under action courtesy of Wesley Henderson III. @AQBoys_Hoops 43 @McQuaidBball 39 pic.twitter.com/CFXJTBjjXR
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 21, 2019
But McQuaid closed the half on a 10-2 run.
Kobe Long scored six of his 22 points to pace the Jesuit Knights to a two-point edge going into the locker room. Long hit a free throw-line jumper before Keith Warren and Joe Cairns both found twine. Then Long grabbed a loose ball and went the length of the floor for two more. The senior guard capped the run with two from the charity stripe.
Kobe Long finds Jermaine Taggart. @AQBoys_Hoops 26 @McQuaidBball 22 pic.twitter.com/mF0SpLvkqU
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 21, 2019
McQuaid (2-4) led 32-30.
“I kept telling them in every timeout, it wasn’t going to be easy. It wasn’t going to be easy,” McCauley stated. “I was hoping it wasn’t going to be that hard, but I just kept preaching to the guys this is not going to be easy.”
Late in the third quarter, Blackwood and Henderson took turns leading each other to the basket for two. Blackwood’s rebound and putback three possessions later made it a 51-43 game.
McQuaid’s Jermaine Taggart scored the next nine points. The senior guard converted back-to-back and-ones then hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Long found a seam in the defense to get to the rim for two more.
Jermaine Taggart pulls up for 3 to give @McQuaidBball its first lead of the second half. 52-51 pic.twitter.com/Rl2FSrOD8Q
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 21, 2019
In that moment, the two-time Section V Class AA champions looked the part with the 54-51 lead.
“Those guys are two-time champions,” McCauley said. “Those guys are experienced. They’re battle-tested.
“We had started turning the ball over a little bit. Taking some quick shots. We talked about that there are going to be highs and lows. They’re a good team. They’re going to make runs. I told the guys in the timeout ‘All right, they went on their run. Now it’s time for us to go on ours.'”
Jack Scanlon finished the night with 11 points for Aquinas (2-3). Gabe Miller added seven to go with four assists. Blackwood handed out five assists.
Half-court trap. Gabe Miller steal and layup: LED screen showing @AQBoys_Hoops 21 @McQuaidBball 19 pic.twitter.com/I1pnjPPA9Z
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 21, 2019
Mahar and Bleier both had six points. Freshman Mykel White had two.
Taggart led all scorers with 26 points. Reuben Daniel had nine points. Darren Blocker added three.
The same two teams will meet at McQuaid on February 13th.
Leave a Reply