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By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Catholic arrived at the Final Four with a chance to win the program’s first state championship in 38 years, but those title hopes were dashed on Friday.
Helias Catholic overcame a four-point deficit with less than four minutes remaining to hand the Fightin’ Irish a heartbreaking 53-50 defeat in a tightly contested Class 5 semifinal at JQH Arena.
Featuring 14 lead changes and no leads larger than six points, the game was not decided until the last second, when a potential game-tying 3-pointer beat the buzzer but fell just short of the rim.
“We just didn’t execute down the stretch,” Springfield Catholic coach Jack Simpson said. “That’s the game of basketball. Sometimes you make plays. Sometimes you don’t. I don’t know necessarily that they were doing anything differently or if we just didn’t make some plays to put that one away. That stings. It’s hard to hear for us, but that’s the game. That’s the game of basketball.”
It was an emotional ending for the Fightin’ Irish, who have eight seniors on the roster and were back in the Final Four since finishing second during their freshman campaign.
Simpson, who joined the team this season, made it a point to put the loss in perspective.
“The emotion is because we love each other in the locker room – and that’s probably why it hurts,” Simpson said. “Not because we lost, but because we love each other. I’ve been telling these guys since we played Glendale in the district semifinal that this game – and it’s really tough to say after you lose – but it’s not life or death. I’m going to be 25 – and it really took me to this year to figure that out – but winning and losing is not life or death. This is a stepping stone.”
Now out of title contention, the Fightin’ Irish (24-7) will face two-time defending state champion Cardinal Ritter (20-10) in the third-place game at noon Saturday at Hammons Student Center. Helias Catholic (18-13) will meet Webster Groves (23-8) at 4 p.m. at JQH Arena for the title.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Zach Howell scored 25 points and hauled in 10 rebounds for Springfield Catholic, which trailed by six late in the third quarter before going on a 15-5 run to take a 46-42 lead with 3:43 remaining in regulation.
But the Fightin’ Irish didn’t hit another field goal the rest of the night and Helias Catholic stormed back with a 9-2 run to take a 51-48 lead with 7.4 seconds left on the clock.
Rather than give the Fightin’ Irish a chance to draw up a play and shoot a 3-pointer, the Crusaders fouled Howell and sent him to the free-throw line. He sank them both to pull within one, but Helias Catholic’s Malcom Davis also nailed a pair to make it 53-50 with 5.4 left.
The Irish tried to find Howell in the corner on the next possession, but overthrew the pass and turned the ball over. That seemed to be the ballgame until Fightin’ Irish senior Ty Lyon broke up the inbound pass and forced a turnover, giving Springfield Catholic the ball with .4 seconds left.
Catholic got the shot off in time, but it grazed the bottom of the net and fell to the floor.
“Coach drew up a great play,” Howell said. “We got a good look. When you put four-tenths of a second on the clock, it’s hard to tell a kid ‘You have to shoot a quick 3,’ but we had to. You’re not used to shooting that type of shot – and we got a good look.”
Simpson said the final sequence – and particularly Lyon’s effort to enable it – epitomized the team’s no-quit approach that allowed it to reach the semifinals.
Though the Irish threw the ball out of bounds with 1.5 seconds left, Lyon immediately pounced on the inbounds pass – injuring his wrist in the process – to allow the Irish to regain possession without having to foul. That kept it a one-possession game with just enough time to shoot.
“That’s why I go to battle with these guys,” Simpson said. “I would continue to go to battle with them. Ty probably just broke his wrist, but that’s the type of kid he is. He’s what I like to call a dog. He’s not going to quit. He’s going to battle until the end. And that’s what I told those guys with 1.5 left. Somebody’s got to make a play. He made the play.”
“We had a decent chance there at the end,” Simpson said. “It just didn’t fall. That’s the way that goes.”
Missouri State football commit Liam O’Reilly added 11 points for the Fightin’ Irish, including a buzzer-beater that gave them a 29-27 lead at halftime.
“I told Zach in the locker room after we lost freshman year that we’d be back in the Final Four,” O’Reilly said. “Came up a little short this year, but I don’t think this defines this group.”
Desmond White, who holds offers from Mizzou, Missouri State, Tulsa and other Division-I programs, led Helias Catholic with 19 points. Davis added 16.
Quinn Roubal had nine for the Fightin’ Irish, who held Helias Catholic to just 36.4 percent shooting — but shot just 34.1 percent on their own attempts.
“They really gave us trouble with their sets,” Helias Catholic coach Joe Rothweiler said. “They caught us on some back doors and some back screens. They’re well-coached. They’re one of the toughest – physically and mentally teams – that we’ve played all season. They had a great year.”
After competing in the Blue & Gold Tournament and Tournament of Champions, Friday’s game marked the Fightin’ Irish’s seventh game at JQH Arena this season — one more than they have played on their home court.
They also played one previous game next door at Hammons Student Center, where the eight seniors will try to close their high school careers on a winning note.
“It sucks, to be honest,” Howell said. “It really does. It wasn’t what we envisioned, but whenever we were little kids in second, third grade at the courts, this was the goal. You don’t see eight seniors on a team very often. We’re brothers. Even though we came up short, it’s not like it’s the end of our team and our relationships.”
SPRINGFIELD CATHOLIC 13 16 10 11 – 50
HELIAS CATHOLIC 15 12 13 13 – 53
