Grove City Christian ousted in double OT
BOYS BASKETBALL
ATHENS — Grove City Christian came into a Division IV regional semifinal Tuesday night with a rarity in two 1,000-point career scorers. Portsmouth Clay had three. By the end of one of the wildest games imaginable, it made perfect sense.
Portsmouth Clay, making its first trip to regional play since 1969, rallied from 14 points down to edge first-time qualifier Grove City Christian 100-97 in double overtime before a juiced-up crowd at Ohio University’s Convocation Center.
The Eagles had opportunities to make it an all-Franklin County regional final for the fourth year in a row but couldn’t convert last-second shots at the end of regulation and the first overtime. Then they missed four straight free throws in the final 48 seconds. In the second overtime, two shots in the final eight seconds wouldn’t fall and Clay (24-2) went home with its 21st consecutive victory.
“Every mistake we made, they capitalized on,” Grove City Christian coach Chris Timlin said. “And we made way more mistakes than they did. Portsmouth Clay really made some big shots when they needed them. Hats off to them.”
Cameron King scored 27 points, Cole Gilliland 23, Brody Rife 20 and Nate Hinze 18 to lead Clay, which cut into a 10-point deficit with a strong fourth quarter.
“Even when we were up we were managing foul trouble, and that made us very cautious in containing their shots and going for rebounds,” Timlin said.
Brandon Baker led Grove City Christian (22-5) with 22 points and had 12 rebounds. Matt Bailey had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Brandon Balnoschan added 17 points, including five three-point shots.
“I suppose I’ve been in a couple or three games this exciting in my career, but what makes this unique — and incredibly tough — is the reality that we’re finished,” Timlin said. “This is a seniororiented team and I’ve grown very close to those kids. It’s a difficult pill to swallow.”
Clay will face defending regional champion Wellington (20-7) in the title game at 7 p.m. Friday.
Wellington 50, Waterford 43
Wellington might not have been on top of its game offensively, but its length and athleticism eventually paid dividends as the Jaguars fought off Waterford (20-5).
After 12 lead changes and three ties, a threepoint play by Bob Faller with 3:53 remaining gave Wellington a 38-35 lead it wouldn’t relinquish. The Wildcats couldn’t get closer than three the rest of the way.
“Our defense is our bread and butter and it carried us through,” Wellington coach Artie Taylor said. “The guys really had to grind through it tonight, but that’s why playing great defense always gives you a chance.”
Solomon Pierre-Louis led Wellington with 15 points. Noah Berry added 13 and Dallas Patrick 10.
Wellington limited Waterford to 31 percent shooting from the field and took advantage of a 44-25 edge on the boards. The Jaguars shot just 32.7 percent from the field, including 2 of 19 on three-pointers.