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03/21 - 1:00 PM Boys Basketball Final St. Vincent-St. Mary 36 Cleveland Central Catholic 41
CANTON, Ohio -- Central Catholic boys basketball shocked Ohio on Saturday by knocking off previously undefeated St. Vincent-St. Mary for a 41-36 win to earn a Division II regional title.
It's the first time since 2011 the Ironmen (23-4) have won a regional title. The Irish (26-1) were ranked No. 3 in the country by USA Today.
Central Catholic coach Jeremy Holmes, who has held the job for less than one year after being an assistant at Cleveland Heights, knew he had the pieces in place when he took over the Ironmen.
"I wanted to give the kids the inspiration to know they could win," Holmes said. "I told them when I got the job what the goal was. Credit to them because they worked every day for that goal."
The win sends Central Catholic to Columbus, where they will play the winner of the regional final between New Concord John Glenn and Columbus Walnut Ridge. The state semifinal will be played Friday at 10:45 a.m.
Fueled by terrific defense, Central Catholic hit the half up 24-17. The Ironmen held the Irish without a 3-pointer over the first two quarters. The combination of Tervell Beck and Antwon Lillard combined for 16 points in the half.
The Irish, which had been to the state semifinal the last two seasons, shot just 3-for-13 from 3-point range and were held to a season-low point total by 16 points.
"I refuse to allow one game to define the season for this group," SVSM coach Dru Joyce said. "It's a great group, and I've enjoyed them immensely."
What it means
The best Division II team in Northeast Ohio is Central Catholic. Not many people saw that coming after the Irish went 26-0, including a 78-69 win at Central Catholic. But behind Holmes, the Ironmen got over the hump and have punched their tickets for Columbus.
"I didn't tell the kids this but every game plan I've had for the last month, I've had St. Vincent-St. Mary in mind," Holmes said. "I knew they would be here. It was my job to get us here."
The Ironmen aren't done, though. With the duo of Beck and Lillard and ability to play defense like they did today, Central Catholic is as good a bet as any to win a Division II state title. This group will enter the state tournament with the best win of any team there.
"We don't use no excuses," Lillard said. "We have a new program and a new coach. It was the plan to win states, and now we have to make it happen."
A state title was not meant to be for the Irish. The only team that got to play the Irish twice got the best of them the second time. St. Vincent-St. Mary will have to settle for an undefeated regular season as its prize this season.
The final sequence
St. Vincent-St. Mary had its chances late. The Irish trailed 37-36 and worked the ball inside but Montell McRae picked up a blocked shot. After Desmond Crosby sank two free throws, a Josh Williams 3-pointer went long, and Central Catholic forced a tie-up. Lillard sank two more free throws to ice it.
Play of the game
With St. Vincent-St. Mary trailing by three points and under 10 seconds to play, sophomore Jayvon Graves corralled a rebound and went into the corner to try to tie the game. Lillard's defense forced a jump ball with 3.4 seconds remaining. It was Ironmen ball, and that was the game.
Crucial run
It really all comes down to the finish for this one. After the Irish took a 34-33 lead, Central Catholic closed the game on an 8-2 run. Sinking four free throws between Lillard and Crosby sealed the deal.
Who stood out for Central Catholic
Beck: The junior was a load inside and had 12 points. His work in the post also forced Cleveland State recruit Jibri Blount to the bench, as he picked up four fouls by the third quarter.
Lillard: The senior was tied with a team-high 12 points, but it was his defense that stood out. He helped lock the Irish defenders down and forced that crucial jump ball.
Who stood out for St. Vincent-St. Mary
Williams: His final game as a member of the Irish did not end the way he wanted, but he still finished with a team-high 12 points. He was one of many Irish players disrupted by Central Catholic's defense.
Central Catholic sound bites
Beck on the win: "I was excited. I was too happy. I cried."
Holmes on taking over last year: "The hardest thing was selling them on me. I was going to be there for them. I wasn't going to leave them. I was going to do whatever it took for them to be successful. I took a while, but they let me in."
Holmes on winning the rematch: "I thought that we were more aggressive and more physical. We didn't shoot many jump shots, but we thought we could attack them around the rim."
Holmes on 3-point defense: "We knew that we could bother them if we could lower their attempts. We didn't want to block threes. We didn't want to contest them. We just didn't want them to shoot them."
Holmes on the win: "I've never felt that in my life. Maybe when my four children were born. It was that feeling."
St. Vincent-St. Mary sound bites
Joyce on why they lost: "Their length bothered us, especially going to the basket. They altered and blocked some shots. When we played them before, we shot it well."
Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.
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