Alter boys top McNick for third consecutive district crown
Big shots, turnovers and free throws. Alter coach Eric Coulter knew Saturday morning’s Division II district final against Cincinnati McNicholas would be decided by those factors.
He paid no attention to the fact that his Knights had beaten McNicholas by 16 and 28 points during their Greater Catholic League Coed meetings.
“It’s always a doubt,” he said. “We’re playing our brothers from the GCL. I’ve tried to avoid the league, but we can’t because the league is really good.”
When the game ended Coulter took a deep breath of survival. His players made big shots, committed only half as many turnovers as the Rockets and made 19 of 23 free throws.
The Knights closed with an 18-11 run for a 64-54 victory, their third straight district title and 30th in program history.
“We’re looking to have a deep run in the playoffs and it started here,” Alter senior guard Joe Brand said.
“We’re ready for practice this week and ready to keep winning. It doesn’t stop here.”
Alter faces the winner of Saturday’s Jonathan Alder-Columbus Watterson game in Thursday’s 6 p.m. regional semifinal at Butler High School. They needed R.J. Greer’s 22 points and Brady Conner’s 12 to get there, but other players stepped up late.
McNicholas (14-12) used a 15-6 run to cut Alter’s once seemingly safe double-digit lead to 40-36 with 6:20 left. The Rockets made it 46-43 with two free throws after senior Gavin Lee uncharacteristically was served with a technical foul.
“Panic set in, so my first thing for him is we’re OK,” Coulter said. “We didn’t want to go down that hill. I had to get him in the right frame of mind.”
Calmed down the Knights went to work after the Rockets missed an open 3-pointer that could’ve tied the score. Then it was time for a big shot, and Charlie Uhl made a 3-pointer — the defense was more worried about Greer — for a 49-43 lead with 2:42 left.
From there the Knights won mostly with free throws capped by Brand’s 6 of 6 in the final minute. He scored 15 points and made three steals. Brand, in his first year as a starter, averaged 10.6 points and three steals, took 21 charges during the regular season and, along with Leen, gives the Knights a toughness edge.
“He’s the type of player every coach would want,” Coulter said. “He plays as hard as he possibly can, never takes any breaks. dives on the floor, takes charges. He does all the dirty work we need.”
And the Knights needed it Saturday.