Westies edge Cross in OT thriller

WEST HAVEN 64 WILBUR CROSS 58

WEST HAVEN — It was over and then it wasn’t. That’s the way both the Wilbur Cross and West Haven boys basketball teams felt in the final seconds of regulation in the Southern Connecticut Conference semifinals.

With Cross leading by three and West Haven seemingly out of time, the ball was ruled out of bounds with 0.3 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. West Haven set up a play for Eli Blackwell to attempt a 3-pointer.

Blackwell was fouled while taking the 3-pointer and calmly hit all three free throws to force overtime. West Haven then outscored Cross 13-9 in the extra session and narrowly prevailed over the two-time defending SCC champions 64-58 in front of a raucous crowd at Neil Cavallaro Court at

West Haven High Tuesday evening.

“We drew up a play where Eli was going to catch and shoot,” West Haven coach Tyrese Sullivan said. “They fouled him and he was able to come through. You hate for it to happen like that (controversy), but it is part of the game.

“Cross played a heck of a game. I have much love and respect for coach Kevin (Walton). He had a great game plan. They controlled the pace of the game. They made it difficult for us.”

With the victory, top

seeded West Haven (11-1) plays third-seeded Notre Dame in the SCC finals Friday evening at a site and time to be determined. The Green Knights dealt West Haven its only loss of the season earlier in the year.

“We definitely want that,” Blackwell said of the chance to avenge West Haven’s only loss of the year. “We had an off night and they wanted it more the last time we played them.”

While the Westies get a shot at the league title, twotime defending SCC champ Cross (8-4) left West Haven feeling as if the title was taken from them. Cross head coach Kevin Walton left no doubt about that after the game.

“You can’t dribble the ball with 0.3 seconds to go,” Walton said of the play prior to the foul ending regulation. “The time runs out.

Tell me how that happens. Tell me. They had 46 (43) free throws tonight. You cannot take the game away from the kids. We deserved to win this game tonight. Everybody in this gym knows we won this game tonight.”

After a basket by Jarel Delgado (16 points) put

Cross up 49-46 in the final seconds, West Haven forced a shot which did not go. The ensuing play saw the ball called out of bounds and West Haven given a final opportunity. Blackwell was fouled as time expired and drained all three to force the overtime.

“It starts with our leaders,” Blackwell said. “We knew it was not over until the clock said zero. We knew we had to keep playing. We had the heart to keep it up.”

Malcolm Duncanson hit a 3-pointer to give West Haven a 52-49 lead to start overtime, before Cross evened the contest on a bucket by Cristian McClease. Duncanson and McClease matched 3-pointers for a 55-55 game, before Delgado nailed a 3-pointer for a 58-57 Cross lead with 1:37 to go in overtime.

Blackwell again gave West Haven the lead with a pair of free throws with 1:19 left and Kairon Hooks extended the lead to 60-58 with a free throw. Cross then missed two inside shots, before West Haven advanced with the final four points.

“My guys came to play as well,” Sullivan said. “We fought and we showed resiliency in this game. We found a way.”

Cross controlled the pace

of the game, forcing West Haven to spend a lot of energy catching up. West Haven finally took the lead at 38-36 on a bucket by Blackwell to start the fourth quarter. The lead was West Haven’s first since a 2-0 lead to start the contest.

Delgado gave Cross a

43-41 advantage, and a free throw by Noah Rainge increased the Cross lead to 45-42 with 1:45 left in regulation. West Haven then went on top with 53.9 seconds left, but Cross scored the next four points to set the final frantic moments of regulation.

“We won this game tonight and everybody knows it,” Walton said. “We won in spite of them taking over 40 free throws. They know that’s not right. These kids worked hard. They played hard. I am not taking anything away from West Haven. They played a great game. It was a great game, but the refs cannot decide the game. It is not how the game should be decided.

You are supposed to beat the champion, not take the championship away from them.”

Cross controlled the pace in the first half and took a 24-21 lead to the third quarter. Behind eight points from Dereyk Grant, the Governors had West Haven in a

21-14 hole until West Haven went on a 7-3 run to end the half.

A basket, then two free throws by Duncanson got the Westies within 21-19 with 1:11 left in the second quarter, but a basket by Namumba Santos had Cross back up by four.

Duncanson finished the first half with 10 points for the Westies, with eight coming in the second quarter when West Haven got back in the game.

The Governors were on fire from the outside to start the contest, with Delgado, McClease and Grant draining 3-pointers for a 9-2 lead. West Haven got as close as 9-8 in the opening eight minutes on a bucket and free throw by Hooks, but Grant drained another 3pointer and Santos closed the scoring in the quarter for a 15-10 Cross advantage after 16 minutes.

Grant finished with 13 points and McClease had 11 in the loss for Cross. Duncanson led West Haven with 26 points and Hooks added 10.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Eli Blackwell — West Haven senior finished with 17 points, including three clutch free throws to force overtime as time expired in regulation.