Molloy Edges Stepinac; Faces Hayes in CHSAA City Chip
JAMAICA, NY- The second CHSAA Intersectional semifinal on Wednesday featured a matchup between Archbishop Molloy and Archbishop Stepinac, two of the powers in the CHSAA this season meeting with everything on the line. Amazingly, it all boiled down to one play with less than one second left on the clock.
With the game tied at 69 in the waning seconds, Cole Anthony '19 drove the ball down the lane, putting up a finger roll that rolled in and out. John Herring '17 was there for a putback that was no good as well, but the ball was ultimately tipped out to a waiting Khalid Moore '17 who was subsequently fouled with 0.6 seconds left.
It was one of the more controversial calls you will see, and while the first FT was nothing but net for Moore, the second, while good again, was taken off the board because of a lane violation. Stepinac did have one more chance with under a second to play but R.J. Davis '20 fumbled the inbounds pass allowing the clock to run out and give the Stanners a 70-69 victory in what could only be described as a classic.
Last season, nearly 1 year ago, to the day, Archbishop Molloy was at St. John's University for a CHSAA Intersectional Semifinal against Xaverian, and while leading late in the game, they were not able to hold on falling to the eventual champions in heartbreaking fashion, and Anthony said before the game he was quick to remind everyone of the spot they were back in.
"Before the game when we were in the huddle I said to the team, same situation, same situation," Anthony said.
It was the same situation being one win away for a berth in the CHSAA Intersectional Championship Game, but they were hoping this time for a very different result. They were confident they would get it done this time since big man Moses Brown '18 said that this Stanners team is much more focused on the goal of a title, more mature and ready for any situation brought their way.
From the start, there wasn't much separating the two teams as both Molloy and Stepinac came out with their A games, wanting to get to the mountaintop and have the chance to compete for a championship. Neither Anthony for the Stanners, nor Alan Griffin '18 for the Crusaders found a rhythm in the early going, but in the second quarter that changed for both as they each began to leave their imprints on the game.
Griffin was lights out off the dribble, sending in a pair of three's, while also weaving his way to the basket off the dribble to score 10 in the quarter, while Anthony on the other end was shooting over every defender who closed out on him with the super sophomore scoring 14 points in the stanza to help give Molloy a narrow 34-33 lead at the half.
With both teams playing as if their lives depended on it, you were getting an effort from both sides of the highest level, with Brown saying that he knew coming in this is exactly what was going to happen.
"I knew this was going to be a hard game, both teams were playing as hard as they could because everything was on the line," Brown stated.
Brown though began to impose his will in the 3rd quarter as he says he noticed that the defense began to focus in more on Anthony, which allowed him to get in positions for dunks inside against the overmatched Stepinac defense down low, which enabled Molloy to take its biggest lead of the game with 3:27 left in the quarter at 46-39.
A three pointer from Davis ended what was a 9-2 run by the Stanners, and with a floater by Payton Hudson '18 in the lane, and then a three by Hudson off a kick out by Griffin, the game was back on as headed into the 4th it was once again a tie game, tied at 52.
On back to back putback dunks by Brown down low, Molloy was able to reassert themselves and go back up by as many as 7 with just over 4 minutes to play in the game. With Brown starting to have his way in the paint, Anthony once again found easier driving lanes as well as the Stanners offense seemed to be clicking on all cylinders.
The three ball was Stepinac's best friend though as each time Molloy looked to be running out with a nice sized lead, they were able to bury a three, but Hudson pulling up in transition to knock down a big one with 3:32 to play.
It didn't end there either as a pair of FT's by Jorden Means '17 got them back within 1 score again, and when Davis hit a clutch three from the right wing with 1:44 left in the game, we were once again tied at 67 with the crowd at St. John's going crazy.
Stepinac actually took a lead at 69-67 when Davis found Xavier Wilson '18 for a slam down low, but the game was quickly tied up after Anthony was fouled on a drive, connecting on both FT's with just under a minute to play.
What made the foul committed on Anthony so important was that it was called on Griffin which was his 5th foul of the game, fouling him out, something that Anthony himself believed was a critical moment in the contest.
"It was a little stress off my shoulders to get one of their two big ones out, it opened it up a lot for us but we the game wasn't over, there was a lot of time to go," Anthony explained.
Back on the other end the Crusaders got a good look at the three from Makai Johnson '17 that went off the back of the rim and the rebound came to the Stanners with 18.2 seconds to go, and after a timeout Molloy held for the final shot, hoping to end the game in regulation.
Anthony would get the ball at midcourt and hold for one, he made his move with just over 8 seconds left going down the right wing, putting up a floater he says he was sure was good.
"Honestly, I thought I had made the finger roll," Anthony said. "In my mind, just a little bit I started to celebrate, just a little bit because I thought I had made it and then I look up and look behind me and I saw the ball roll off and I was like oh man overtime."
Not quite yet though as Herring had a good look off a tip that rolled off the rim, and then the ball was tipped out to Moore in what proved to be the biggest, and most controversial moment of the game.
After the ball was tipped out to Moore he began to spin and while he did a foul was called with 0.6 seconds left in the game. Many in the crowd cheered, though many others booed. It was a tough call to make in that situation, but it was a call that Stanners head coach Mike McCleary felt was right and just.
"He was clearly fouled and I am glad that he called it because there were a couple others that I was questioning politely," McCleary stated.
Stepping up to the FT line Moore made the first FT to put Molloy up 70-69. He would make the second as well, but the same referee who made the foul call seconds earlier ruled that there was a line violation on the Stanners, keeping the game at 70-69, and giving McCleary more stress as well.
Khalid making those foul shots was so huge, I have no idea why we would violate their though, I guess so I could have another grey hair," McCleary said with a smile.
The reason McCleary could smile was because his Molloy squad was up 70-69, but there was still 0.6 to go. Wilson would inbound the ball and he found Davis just short of midcourt, but he fumbled the ball as time expired allowing the Stanners to celebrate their first berth in the CHSAA Intersectional Championship since 2000, taking down Archbishop Stepinac by 1.
In what was the biggest win for Archbishop Molloy in years, Anthony had a game high 25 points, with Brown adding 22 points of his own in the victory that Anthony says was all about experience.
"What was different for us was that year of experience," Anthony explained. "It made us so much better and I think that is what ultimately helped win that game for us, that experience"
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Falling just short in as heartbreaking of fashion as possible, Griffin was the high man for the Crusaders with 20 points, while Davis chipping in with 17 points. It will be a tough loss to swallow for a while for Stepinac head coach Pat Massaroni knows that there is a lot to like about the future for his gritty, and talented Crusaders team.
"I just thanked our 3 seniors for what they did for our program but also that we want to get back to this stage because this is the bar we have set for Stepinac basketball," Massaroni stated. "We have 10 guys coming back, and along with some new pieces I hope they can gel like this group did."
It's Molloy's night though as they were able to come away with the victory and now will look ahead to this Sunday's CHSAA Intersectional Championship Game at Fordham University. They haven't been to a title game since 2000, and haven't won one since 1987, and while it's been 30 years, they will be facing a familiar foe, and a foe that McCleary hopes gives them good thoughts about the game to come.
"We won the final in 1987 and we played Hayes in the final, that was the last time we won so we are hoping for destiny."
