Lions Hold on to top Cardinals, 45-42

Junior Malcolm Westbrook shoots for the Cardinals in a 45-42 setback to Archbishop Carroll Thursday.

The difference between winning and losing is often razor thin, Thursday night 32 minutes of basketball came down to the final six seconds. With the Cardinals trailing by three on alumni night, they got a chance as time expired but the failed attempt sent Ireton home disappointed, 45-42 to Archbishop Carroll in WCAC men’s basketball.

Both teams struggled to find any offensive flow in the opening quarter of the contest, the squads posting a 6-5 score in favor of the Lions at the end of one. The athletic Washington visitors were athletic and aggressive on the boards, garnering 18 offensive rebounds in the course of the game, and cobbled together a 7-0 run on put backs and layups. Ireton responded however, and with a pair of threes, from seniors Patrick Hanafin and Matt Barnwell, the Cardinals went to intermission with a 17-16 lead.

The offense picked up in the third quarter and Carroll regained a 31-30 advantage after three quarters. Antonio Rouse made a pair of free throws to push Ireton to a 35-34 lead with 6:40 to play, and the teams struggled evenly as Carroll junior Ryan Williams tied the game at 38 with 4:10 left. Williams added a three after junior Marcus Hayes had put Ireton back on top, pulling the Lions to a 41-40 lead. Pair of Carroll free throws increased the bulge to 43-40 with 1:02 remaining. A critical Cardinal turnover led to a dunk by junior Justin Alston and the redbirds were down 45-40 with 29 ticks remaining to play.

Rouse drained a pair of free throws to pull the hosts to 45-42 and the Lions missed a pair of free throws to give Ireton life with under ten seconds. The Cardinals hustled down the floor and got a three off, snared the rebound and quickly fired it back outside teh arc, but the second shot at the buzzer bounced off the rim as the horn sounded. The Cardinals fall to 8-14 on the season, 0-11 in the WCAC. Second place Bishop McNamara makes their annual visit to Father Godley Gym Friday night, the tripleheader starts with freshmen at 4pm and the varsity tipoff is scheduled for 7:30pm.