SYRACUSE – Staring at a last-minute deficit and an unknown future should it not rally here, the Bishop Ludden boys basketball team stood tall and, by doing so, grabbed the Section III Class AAA championship from Liverpool’s grasp.
It was the Gaelic Knights’ remarkable play in those waning seconds which gave it a 54-50 victory over the Warriors in Saturday’s sectional final at SRC Arena.
“Our guys did everything right this season,” said head coach Gallagher Driscoll. “They competed and they believed, and these guys just don’t quit.”
All of those attributes were on display when Ludden found itself down 50-49 with under a minute to play. Liverpool had the ball, but forward Liam Sheer, enjoying the best game of his young career, made a key block which forced a turnover.
Jahzar Greene, content most of the game to pass the ball off to teammates, took charge on this possession, hitting a runner with 23 seconds left which put the Gaelic Knights in front.
After giving a foul, Ludden, with the ball underneath its basket, had Sheard step up again and block another shot, this one a close-up chance by Freddy Fowler.
Coming up with the ball, Sheard was quickly fouled. He made both free throws and, up by three at 53-50, Liverpool fouled Fowler, who only made one of two foul shots with four seconds left. One more rebound and two Joe Dunham free throws sealed it.
In many ways the fact that the Gaelic Knights even made it close was remarkable given that it was shut out for more than five minutes at the game’s outset and netted just a single field goal before Greene converted in the last seconds of the first quarter.
Liverpool built a 14-4 advantage early in the second period and was up 31-20 after Sean Frawley’s 3-pointer two minutes into the third quarter. Both times, Ludden rallied, with Sheard the catalyst as he poured in a game-high 22 points.
In large part Sheard punished the Warriors for focusing its defense on Greene, whose 12 points was not even half his season scoring average. Fowler and his teammates were effective shutting off driving lanes for Greene, but in the paint Sheard would grab nine rebounds and add five blocks, two of them in that fateful final minute.
Colden Sheen, despite foul trouble, grabbed eight rebounds, while Trey Dennis earned five rebounds. Dunham and Nick Brunger finished with six points apiece.
Now Ludden heads to the state Class AAA tournament and is back at SRC Arena next Saturday at 11 a.m. to face the Section II champion in the regional final, the winner to go to Binghamton March 20 and 21 for the state final four.
