Holy Cross Juniors def. Romeo Medical Clinic
Fourth-seeded Holy Cross Juniors scored the game’s final five points to score a comeback victory over top-seeded Romeo Medical Clinic.
Junior Darrell McIntyre got Holy Cross off to a strong start as he hit his first three jump shots. However, Medical Clinic relied on its senior duo of captain Dominic Romeo and Tyler Sonsalla to bully its way to an 11-8 halftime lead. Romeo scored with a combination of post moves and put-backs, while Sonsalla leaned on his jump shot and floater.
Romeo continued to dominate in the post early in the second half and with an 18-14 lead, Medical Clinic seemed on its way to a win, but Holy Cross captain Zoe Bauer brought his team back. He hit two consecutive layups, followed by two jump shots to cut the lead to 19-18.
Medical Clinic missed free throws on three of its final possessions, which left the door open for the comeback. McIntyre got a jumper to fall for the tie, and junior Alajowon Edwards put Holy Cross ahead with a lay-in. Medical Clinic turned the ball over on its final possession, and McIntyre banked in the winning basket at the other end.
Bauer said he was proud of the way his team fought and will be looking for more of the same in the tournament final.
“It was a back-and-forth game,” Bauer said. “They’re strong, physical. We had to rebound and fight back. The final’s going to be the same type of deal, back and forth, very physical, so we’ve just got to bring our game.”
Touchdown 3s def. Uncle Drew Nem
Sixth-seed Touchdown 3s upset second-seeded Uncle Drew Nem as it ran away with a 21-7 win.
Touchdown 3s senior Chris Cali helped his team to an early lead with two early jump shots, but Uncle Drew Nem relied on its physicality to fight back. Forward Harold Swanagan bullied his way to three lay-in buckets and then hit a long jumper to put Uncle Drew Nem up, 7-6. However, Touchdown 3s would rattle off the next 15 points.
Cali got a quick tying layup, and senior Jeremy Riche scored the final three points of the half for Touchdown 3s. Each of Riche’s finishes came at the rim, including one reverse layup that drew a loud reaction from the crowd.
In the second half, Riche and junior center Taylor Kolbus scored eight of the team’s 10 buckets, while the defense of Touchdown 3s held its opponent scoreless for the entire second half. Riche scored three fast-break layups early in the second half and punctuated his effort with another reverse layup.
Meanwhile, Kolbus showed off his repertoire of moves as he hit a hook shot and finished strong at the rim.
The game’s atmosphere was tense as Uncle Drew Nem’s frustration grew and the fouls piled up. Sophomore Garrett Dempsey hit a free throw for Touchdown 3s that made the score 19-7, and Kolbus closed out the game with two pull-up jumpers.
After the game, Kolbus praised his team’s attitude and effort.
“It was real intense,” Kolbus said. “Bodies and elbows were flying, there were a lot of fouls, but we played really hard and stuck with it. We just want to have fun first and foremost — that’s what its all about. It was physical out there, but it was all fun. We just want to keep at it.”
