TCA survives to capture fourth title in six years
TRENTON >> Rodrique Massenat quickly glanced up at the jumbotronoftheSunNational BankCentertocheckthegame clock before his eyes drifted back to the task at hand. The 6-foot-3 sophomore shuffled backandforthinthelowpost, with one hand pressed up on the chest of Ewing’s Jon Azoroh as the sequence of Massenat’s life unfolded.
Boko Mupungu, Trenton Catholic’s other interior defender during the possession, shifted to the high post to bring additional pressure on Ewing. The Iron Mikes tipped a pass which landed into the waiting arms of Mupungu. The 6-foot-8 senior handed it off to Massenat, who was immediately fouled with 7.2 seconds left on the clock as Ewing called timeout. A fateful trip to the foul line awaited.
“I went in the huddle and I said, ‘I got this,’” Massenat would explain afterward with a wide smile. “I came out of the huddle, took my first dribble and I said to myself, ‘Oh, this ball feels good. It’s going in.’”
Massenat drilled two clutch free throws as TCA halted a late surge from Ewing on Friday night in the Mercer County Tournament final, capturing the boys basketball program’s fourth title in the past six years with a 59-57 victory.
Jamir Watkins paced thirdseeded TCA’s balanced attack with 14 points. Two other Iron Mikes reached double figures, one being Tournament MVP Quashawn Lane, the junior point guard who has quarterbacked this dynamic offense all season long.
This was TCA’s third time beating Ewing in a final this decade. The outcome avenged a loss to Notre Dame in the championship last season. None of the current Iron Mikes played during TCA’s most recent title (2015).
“It’s a lot of trash talking going back and forth betweenwho’sthebestinMercer County, so it’s good to finally get the crown and be named number one,” Lane said.
With 3:25 remaining in the fourth quarter, TCA seized its largest lead of the night when EJ Evans whipped a no-look pass to Mupungu in the low post. He softly laid it off the glass to make it 54-44. But the fourth-seeded Blue Devils, winners of 18 of 19 games since the New Year, refused to buckle.
Ewing surged on an 11-3 run over the next two minutes and change. When the Iron Mikes threw the ball out of bounds in transition with 1:06 remaining, Ewing had the ball with a chance to tie down only 57-55.
The Blue Devils missed two free throws with 55.5 seconds remaining, but Ewing received another opportunity when TCA turned the ball over again with 42.5 ticks still on the clock.
Mupungu blocked a shot out of bounds, and the Blue Devils could not take advantage of new life.
“Everyone just had to calm down,” Lane said. “The young guys are going to learn. It comes with the experience.”
They may be new to the big stage, but TCA would not likely be here without the evolution of some of the team’s key talented underclassmen including Evans and Watkins, two freshmen who respectively stand 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-5. Each notched double-digit scoring in the MCT semifinals and finals.
“Eight months ago, they were in eighth grade. What they’ve done, it’s really helped us,” TCA coach Fred Falchi said. “They’ve been huge. They defend, they rebound — they do a lot. They give us length. We’re not big, but we have lengthy kids.”
Eight of the game’s nine lead changes came in the first half as the teams battled to a 28-28 tie.
With 4:46 remaining in the second quarter, Azoroh leaped in the air and swung his right fist across his body. The 6-foot-4 senior had raced down the floor after Ewing forced an ill-advised 3-pointer, was ready for an outlet pass and slammed down a dunk with two hands.
A one-handed slam off a pass from Edamiyon Doggett also contributed to 13 points in ahugesecondquarterforAzoroh, who ended with a gamehigh 23 points and garnered the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award.
But after halftime, TCA opened the third quarter on a 10-1 spurt thanks to 3-pointers from Chris LaBelle, Watkins and True Alton.
The Iron Mikes limited Ewing’s second-chance points down the stretch, then clung to its lead long enough for Massenat to leave his imprint with two free throws that made it a two-possession game in the final 10 seconds, icing the crown.
After the first shot swished through, the sophomore inhaled and exhaled a deep breath. Then he finished business by internally shaking off the raucous crowd.
“The only difference is everybody was louder,” Massenat said of the second free throw. “They wanted me to miss, but I’m tough, so I made it.”
E. Doggett 6-3-17, Joseph 4-3-11, Johnson 1-1-3, Azoroh 10-2-23, Conde 1-1-3
22-10-57.
Lane 4-2-10, Alton 2-0-5, Ryland 1-1-3, Evans 5-0-11, Watkins 5-1-14, Mupungu 4-1-9, LaBelle 1-0-3, Massenat 1-2-4.
23-7-59. Azoroh, E. Doggett 2 (E). Watkins 3, Evans, LaBelle, Alton (T).