Junior Point guard Taylor McHugh directs the Cardinal attack.
In one game Coach Neil Berkman’s squad led nearly the entire contest, in the other they chased the visitors the entire game, but both ended up in WCAC setbacks over the weeekend in boys basketball. On Friday, Bishop McNamara scored the game’s final 5 points to ****** a 62-58 win and Sunday, Bishop O’Connell used a big second quarter to run away to a 74-58 victory in Godley Gym.
On Friday, the Mustangs and Cardinals played a fast-paced first period, with Ireton grabbing a 20-15 lead. Behind Wynn Miller and Patrick Moseh, who scored 11 of the Cardinals 17 second quarter points, the home team built a 12-point advantage at 37-25 into the locker room at intermission. The Mustangs rebounded in the third quarter to shave the lead to 46-39 going into the game’s final period. There the visitors stole the game away, limiting the suddenly cold shooting hosts to one shot and converting free throws. Slowly the Ireton lead shrank until a three-pointer gave McNamara its first lead since 2-0 at 55-54.
Ireton’s last gasp was a pair of Da’von Wiley free throws in the game’s final minute to give Ireton their final advantage at 58-57. The final five points went to the visitors and a stunned home faithful filed out of Godley Gym and into the night. Patrick Moseh had a game-high 24 points, but no other Cardinal reached double figures. Dan Noe and Da’von Wiley scored 8 each, Miller added 7. Stephan Jiggetts led Bishop McNamara with 18, Sam Greene had 14, and Kevin Robbins 9.
Sunday’s contest with arguably the WCAC’s toughest team at this point in the season, Bishop O’Connell, looked to be a tall order. The Knights, fresh off a 20-point pasting of DeMatha, had the confidence of a WCAC-leading bunch. The contest started slowly with neither team scoring in their opening few possessions, then the visitors grabbed a quick 4-0 lead. Patrick Moseh and Da’von Wiley promptly tied the game at 4-4, and the teams stood toe-to-toe for the remainder of an exciting fast paced period, capped Dan Noe’s 30 foot three at the buzzer to pull Ireton to within 16-13 after one period.
A traditional three-point play pulled the Cardinals even at 16-16 in the start of the second period, but O’Connell’s Leroy Butts soon provided the blue jerseyed visitors a 26-20 lead, and a Romelo Trimble’s five points pushed the Cardinals into 32-20 hole. The Knights moved to the locker room with a comfortable 34-21 advantage.
O’Connell would continue to attack the Cardinals, outscoring them 24-13 in the third quarter to open up a 58-34 margin. The final quarter saw both teams substitute liberally, the Knights would end the game with nine different players scoring, and Ireton would trim the lead by outscoring the visitors 24-16, long after the contest was in doubt for the final margin. Once again, Moseh would lead all scorers with 21 points but no other redbird would score more than 9. Butts led the Knights with 18, Romelo Trimble had 13, Junior Etou 12. The three combined for 29 of O’Connell’s 57 rebounds in the contest.
Coming off the weekend, Ireton falls to 12-6, 3-5 in the WCAC, while O’Connell improved to 15-1, a perfect 8-0 mark in WCAC play. A long layoff awaits the Cardinals, there next action is at Gonzaga on Tuesday, January 22d.
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