SHA boys roll into D4 quarterfinals
SHA boys roll into D4 quarterfinals
It was go time, time to go. So Zach Wentworth went as did Luke Predum.
As it was Wentworth and Predum combined to score 23 fourth-quarter points Thursday to propel Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart Academy past Saginaw Nouvel 5951 in a Division 4 regional final from Midland High School.
SHA (19-1) now advances to the D4 quarterfinal round on Tuesday from Houghton Lake High School. The Irish will play Frankfort (17-5) at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
On Thursday the Irish trailed for most of the contest before erupting in the fourth quarter, outscoring Nouvel 25-15 in the final frame. With 6:37 left in regulation Saginaw Nouvel (9-9) led by a score of 41-35.
Then Wentworth and Predum went to work, hitting four 3-pointers between them during a three-minute span. A Wentworth trey with 5:20 left on the clock gave the Irish the lead for good and then they iced it by going 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the final 41 seconds.
“I knew somebody had to make a play, it was go time,” said Wentworth, who hit three-straight 3-pointers in the fourth to ignite the run. “This is one of the best feelings in the world.”
Predum added, “We had to let the game come to us and stay calm. We did that in the second half.”
After a 10-10 push of a first quarter Nouvel got things rolling in the second quarter, bumping its lead up to 24-17 with 3:30 left in the first half. The Irish drew to within five by the half, going into the break down 28-23. SHA cut the deficit to two at 36-34 at the end of three before scoring 25 in the fourth.
“You can’t win big games without good players and we have great players,” said an elated SHA head coach Justin Sherlock, who has the Irish in the quarterfinal round for the first time since 2014. “I couldn’t be happier. I say it all the time, I’m the luckiest guy to be coaching these kids. It’s true.”
For the game Predum led all scorers with 28 while Wentworth had 19. Aidan Halliday, Ben Wilson and Gabe Ruggles finished with four points apiece.
Jonathan Tunney led Nouvel with 22 points.