Martin Luther snaps Angels’ win streak
For almost two seasons, Racine St. Catherine's stormed through the competition, winning 39 of the 43 games in its winning streak by double-digit margins.
There was something about Martin Luther, though.
After taking a 28-point shellacking from the Angels early last season, the Spartans have been the biggest thorn in the side of the soon-to-be two-time Metro Classic champion. Two of St. Catherine's close calls came against Martin Luther, a 60-56 overtime win on Jan. 31, 2020, and a 58-55 win on Dec. 11.
Both times Martin Luther had a grip on a victory only to lose it. Saturday was different.
With 22 points from freshman guard Nacir Beamon and 18 from senior guard Tre Burris, Martin Luther defeated the Angels, 65-59, in overtime at home to snap the longest boys basketball winning streak in the state.
In addition to being ranked No. 1 in the area by the Journal Sentinel, St. Catherine's is the No. 1 ranked team in the Division 3 state polls by the Associated Press and wissports.net.
“The first time we played them, they were playing with four or five seniors and we've got a freshman, two sophomores. We just had kids without a lot of experience,” Martin Luther coach Paul Wollersheim said. “That was early in December, and now with almost 20 games under our belt, having been in a fair amount of tight games and played a lot of good teams, we just played with a lot more poise and confidence.”
Martin Luther also handed St. Catherine's its last loss before the stretch, a sectional semifinal setback in the 201819 tournament.
St. Catherine's was without state player of the year candidate Tyrese Hunter for the third straight game. The Racine Journal Times reported that Hunter has an ankle injury that coach Nick Bennett didn't think was serious.
Wollersheim didn't deny that the senior point guard and Iowa State recruit would have impacted the game.
In his absence, the teams battled back and forth. Martin Luther sophomore guard Jalen Haynes sank two free throws with 50 seconds left in regulation to tie the game. After St. Catherine senior guard/forward Jameer Barker missed in the final seconds, the Metro Classic rivals were headed to overtime for the second time in three meetings.
Martin Luther never trailed in overtime. Burris gave the Spartans the lead with a free throw on the first possession and later completed a three-point play to give his team a four-point advantage with about 2 minutes left.
The victory was another sign of the maturing of a Spartans squad that could be dangerous down the stretch and in 2021-22. They improved to 11-7 and have won six of seven games, a run that also includes a 68-64 victory over previously undefeated Lake Country Lutheran.
With a guard-oriented attack led by Beamon (17.2 ppg), Burris (14.1 ppg) and sophomore Demerius Shakur (13.1 ppg), the Spartans have proved to be a tough matchup for St. Catherine's even when Hunter is on the floor.
“We have three guards that can handle the ball, so we can handle their pressure and run our offense,” Wollersheim said. “We match up pretty with them. The strength of their team is their perimeter and that's the strength of our team.”
UW-Green Bay recruit Kamari McGee finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists for St. Catherine's. Sophomore forward Domonic Pitts added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Barker, a senior guard, had 15 points and seven rebounds.
Despite the setback the Angels (18-1) remain the team to beat in Division 3. They're on the verge of clinching their second straight Metro Classic title despite playing no home games this year due to an ordinance from the City of Racine Public Health Department that aims to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.