Ortiz, Gelinas help Tolman overcome St. Raphael
CUMBERLAND — Before converting a game-clinching layup off a brilliant feed from John Hilaire, Tolman High junior Hayson Ortiz represented the upside of what can happen when you never give up on the play.
There was 2:05 remaining in Saturday’s Division II semifinal against St. Raphael when Ortiz went to the freethrow line. With the Tigers trailing by one, the junior who spent a good portion of the fourth quarter on the bench with four fouls calmly made the first attempt.
The second attempt was off, yet Ortiz didn’t automatically retreat on defense upon releasing the ball. He crashed the offensive glass and proved to be in the right spot at the right time. Tolman senior Malik Gelinas was the recipient of Ortiz’s work on the boards as he cut in for a go-ahead score.
“It gave us mad momentum after I missed. No one boxed me out. I just went after it, got it, and [Gelinas] was open,” said Ortiz.
The immediate aftermath of the failed boxout and score resulted in St. Raphael re-tying the game, yet the stage still belonged to Ortiz, who’s emerged as a key component in recent weeks. His court awareness took shape when Hilaire dribbled in from the left wing as all Ortiz needed to do was go up with it after the SRA defense collapsed in the paint on Tolman’s starting point guard.
“I saw a green light … double-clutched it right off the backboard,” said Ortiz.
The difference that Ortiz provided down the stretch represented a key reason why the third-seeded Tigers celebrated a trip to the D-II finals following a comefrom-behind 59-53 win over No. 2 St. Raphael. Tolman trailed for the majority of the contest before rising up and mounting a charge that Hilaire capped with four free throws (on four attempts) following Ortiz breaking a 53-all tie with less than a minute remaining.
“I know John is going to make [his free throws] every trip,” said Ortiz, who finished with 13 points. “I trust him with everything that I have.”
Added Tolman coach Mike Neal, “John has ice pouring through his veins. He embraces the moment. He looks for it.”
As for looking for redemption after sitting on the bench with four fouls, Ortiz said, “I had to keep my hands in and make sure I didn’t foul.”
There was a time when Saturday’s game resembled the regular-season meeting between the two Pawtucket schools. The Saints pounded away and came up with plenty of second-chance opportunities, yet the adjustment Neal made in going back to starting center Pape Fall helped stem the tide and set the stage for the Tigers to make a move with the outcome still up for grabs.
“We knew we had them on the ropes. We just had to hit that knockout punch,” said Neal. “We got the knockout punch. From there it was a matter of containing and managing the moment.”
Gelinas led Tolman with 20 points while Hilaire scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth quarter. The Tigers, who trailed at the end of each of the first three quarters, now look forward to Tuesday’s D-II championship game against topseed Lincoln at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
“Going to the championship game means a lot to our seniors,” said Ortiz. “It could be my only trip so I’m going to treat it as my last game ever.
From being in command for so long to suddenly playing from behind, the Saints rode an uneasy wave that resulted in a thunderous crash courtesy of Ortiz and Hilaire. Jay-den Matos led SRA with 19 points – he spent the bulk of the second quarter on the bench with three fouls – while Khamari Brown and Zerek Johnson each had 10 points.
“There were times when things didn’t go the way they were planned. We just happened to fall short,” said Brown, as the Saints now look ahead to the R.I. Open State Tournament that gets underway next weekend. “It’s about putting this behind us and going back to the drawing board and keep working hard. I know it stinks to lose, but sometimes, life doesn’t go as planned. You have to put it behind you and keep playing.”