Monroeville drops 49-48 decision to Cardinal Stritch

OREGON — Close calls. They make tournament time so exciting, but also so heartbreaking for the team that finds itself on the short side of a dramatic finish. Three missed shots by Monroeville in the final 12 seconds went awry and Cardinal Stritch (15-9) escaped with a 49-48 win over the Eagles in a Division VII district semifinal at the Harold Potter Field House Clay High School on Thursday. The Cardinals took the lead for good, 49-48, with 46.2 seconds to play when Xavier Blackman hit two free throws. Ethan Pomerich and Cole Perry missed back-to-back shots with five seconds to play for Monroeville, but Erick Graham missed both free throws on the ensuing end for Stritch. Pomerich dribbled the ball into the front court, where timeout was called with 1.2 seconds. Linkoln Schaffer-Paull's 3-pointer from the left corner did not fall, ending the game and the Eagles' 11-game winning streak. Monroeville (18-8) trailed from early in the second quarter until Schaffer-Paull hit a deep 3-pointer from the left wing with 1:45 to play in the game to put the Eagles ahead, 47-46. Blackman hit a free throw to tie the score with 1:16 remaining, and Perry put Monroeville back in front, 48-47, before Blackman drew the foul and closed out the scoring at the charity stripe. Monroeville coach Bob Fries thought his team was out of sorts in the first quarter. "We came out and played non-aggressive and non-physical," he said. "Maybe it was nerves and their quickness, but (that's why) we fell behind." Trailing 29-22 at the half, the Eagles outscored the Cardinals 26-20 in the second half, but it wasn't quite enough. "I'm proud of the way they responded in the third quarter," Fries said. "We got the ball into the paint, were more physical and played better defense. "We had them right where we wanted them. We missed some free throws that we normally make. That's the reason we lost." After King Wilson Jr. scored to put Stritch up 41-37 midway through the fourth quarter, Monroeville went on an 11-6 run to take its final lead, 48-47. Blackman made a field goal to push the Cardinals' lead to 37-26 midway through the third quarter before the Eagles cut the deficit to 39-34 heading into the fourth period, Stritch exploded in the second quarter, outscoring the Eagles, 23-12, and dunking it five times. After Pomerich scored on a jumper to tie the score, 14-14, midway through the second quarter, the Cardinals went on a 15-8 run to get to the half with a 29-22 lead. Wilson had 10 points in the second quarter. The first quarter, which saw Monroeville lead 10-6 after the game's first eight minutes, was a defensive struggle as both teams tried to feel each other out. Derek Ackerman scored eight points in the first quarter for the Eagles, but picked up his second foul less than a minute into the second period, and he sat until halftime. It was the final game for Perry, Pomerich, Maverick Myers, Derek Ackerman and Colton Koch. That quintet helped Monroeville win its first league title in 42 years. "I hope this sets the stage for the younger classes," Fries said. "I had the pleasure of coaching these guys when they were in fifth grade. It's been a special year with these guys. For years, I've been going to Willard to watch districts and Bowling Green and Toledo to watch regionals. "I'm just sorry I couldn't get them (to regionals)." CARDINAL STRITCH (15-9) King Wilson 4 6-6 14, Xavier Blackman 3 3-4 10, Marquis Evans 0 2-2 2, Dennis Clark 7 0-2 14, RaSean Gordon 1 0-0 3, Erick Graham 3 0-2 6. TOTALS 18 11-16 49 MONROEVILLE (18-8) Maverick Myers 2 0-2 4, Linkoln Schaffer-Paull 2 0-0 6, Ethan Pomerich 3 1-4 7, Derek Ackerman 5 0-0 10, Cole Perry 7 3-7 17, Colton Koch 1 0-0 2, Alec Schafer 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 21 4-15 48 Cardinal Stritch 6 23 10 10 — 49 Monroeville 10 12 12 14 — 48 Three-point goals: Cardinal Stritch 2 (Blackman, Gordon); Monroeville 2 (Schaffer-Paull 2)