STVM boys basketball uses big 2nd quarter and overcomes 35 points from Jerry Higgins to defeat VASJ, 84-69, in Division II regional final

  • 03/17 - 12:00 PM Boys BasketballFinal
    St. Vincent-St. Mary 84
    Villa Angela-St. Joseph 69
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CANTON, Ohio – Irish eyes were smiling down Saturday afternoon as St. Vincent-St. Mary defeated Villa Angela-St. Joseph 84-69 in a battle of defending OHSAA boys basketball state champions.

STVM, (19-8), last year’s Division II state champion, and VASJ (18-9), last season’s Division III state champions, were battling at the Canton Memorial Civic Center in a Division II regional championship game.

The Fighting Irish led 14-12 after the first quarter but then exploded in the second quarter to take control of the game. Freshman Seth Wilson hit a 3-pointer on the quarter’s first possession and then followed up a VASJ basket by Jerry Higgins with two more 3-pointers to give STVM a 23-14 lead. Wilson had 17 points to lead four STVM players in double figures.

“I just had to find my rhythm because I have never played here,” Wilson said. “I had to get things going and get things rolling.”

STVM finished the quarter on a 10-2 run to take a 37-20 lead into halftime. The Fighting Irish hit just six field goals in the second quarter, but five of those were 3-pointers. Wilson hit four of them, while senior Scott Walter hit the other.

“I am pretty sure on all of those 3-pointers, we got it in front of the rim and kicked it out,” STVM coach Dru Joyce said. “Those are the highest percentage 3-point shots. We have guys who believe in themselves and they knocked shots down.”

VASJ came out in the second half and started pressing on defense, leading to turnovers and points for the Vikings, especially senior guard Jerry Higgins. The 5-foot-10 guard scored 13 of his game-high 35 points in the third quarter to keep the game close.

“We wanted to make him earn every point,” Joyce said. “If he is going to get them, make him earn them. He did a lot of good things.”

Each time the Vikings started to make a run, the STVM offense was able to settle down under the leadership of Walter, who scored 14 points in the game, but most importantly he handled the ball with poise under pressure.

“Me being the point guard, I need to slow us down and get us into our sets,” Walter said. “When we were able to settle down, we broke the press and got the shots we wanted.”

Despite the effort in the third quarter from Higgins, VASJ was only able to cut into the STVM halftime lead by one and trailed 55-39 heading into the fourth. Higgins again put the Vikings on his shoulders, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter to give him 28 in the second half.

“You can only give 100 percent, and the kid has never taken a play off,” VASJ coach Babe Kwasniak said. “He is a unicorn. He is one of one.”

VASJ cut the lead to 10 twice in the fourth quarter, but STVM was able to respond both times and then extended the lead to 19 with just 2:22 left.

“We recognize that they have a great player and we just wanted to do our best to contain him,” Joyce said. “But we felt like we had the better team and that’s what showed.”

Lunden McDay added 15 points for STVM, while Darius Cone scored 14. Jordan Calhoun had 17 points for VASJ.

STVM and VASJ each entered this season tied for the most OHSAA boys basketball state championships, with seven each. That was not a point lost on Joyce as his Fighting Irish prepared for their regional final.

STVM advances to face Lexington in the state semifinals on Friday at 2 p.m. The game will be played at Ohio State University’s Jerome Schottenstein Center.

“Both of us are tied right now with the most state championship wins,” Joyce said. “We just wanted to be the one who got the chance to go down to Columbus to get the eighth one.”

And a state championship is the only goal for STVM.

“Getting there is not enough, we have gotten there enough times,” Joyce said. “We want to go down there and come back with something. That’s the reason you go.”

His former star player agrees with him. As LeBron James tweeted out after the game, banners are all the Fighting Irish knows.

Ryan Isley is a freelancer from Akron

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