Overtime game
Rockets shoot down Gators CONNELLSVILLE – Jefferson-Morgan actually had six players in the lineup for this one, five that you could see and one that wasn’t seen, but he made his presence known down the stretch.
Fellow named “Persistence.”
It was “Persistence” on offense and “Persistence” on defense that sparked the Rockets down the fourth quarter stretch and into overtime as they edged host Geibel Catholic, 66-61, in a key matchup for both teams.
Both now stand 4-3 in Section 2-A, and are in a three-way tie for the third playoff spot out of the section.
Geibel took an early lead, but then “Persistence” got into the lineup, and the Rockets moved out from a 15-14 first-quarter deficit into a 26-24 edge at intermission. They then led 40-34 after three, before Geibel bounced back to tie in regulation, 52-52.
After being down one at the quarter, JM took the lead at the start of the second on a long three and a regular goal by Bryan Lorence, who came off the bench to get a team high 13 points, which was also a career high for him.
Geibel tied the game at 19-19 on goals by Chris Cox and Jacob David, but the Rockets went up again on Zack Weston’s two free ones, a fielder by John Fowler and A.J. Curtis’ NBA-range 3-pointer for a 26-19 lead.
From there, JM (9-7) kept the lead until 3:52 remained in regulation, and Jordan White’s “3” got the Gators their first lead since the opening quarter, and play alternated from there until there was just over a minute to go. Then Fowler laid one in, and Lorence canned one of two line tries for a 52-50 lead. White then scored from the side with :39 left for a 52-52 tie.
With :30 left, Jacob David was fouled, and the 1-and-1 went into effect against JM. He missed, but Geibel rebounded and called time.
Coach Ken Misiak said later, “I told them to hold the ball, play for the last shot, but we didn’t do it. We missed with about :17 to go and they got the ball, but they missed their shot. The big point was that we didn’t play the clock right, and that hurt.”
With time running out, C.J. Moon was fouled, putting the 1-and-1 on Geibel. He missed and Geibel got the ball back but missed a last try and the game went to overtime.
David was fouled as he went for a layup to start overtime, and he made one of two tries for a 53-52 Geibel lead. That would be the Gators’ last lead.
Curtis got two free throws, Fowler a short bucket, and Curtis again hit from the circle for a 58-53 lead.
White put up a rebound to leave Geibel down 58-55, but JM answered with Weston’s shot from the side, and Moon and Curtis made two free ones each for a 64-55 lead, and the Rockets were on their way.
Coach Jim Romanus called the win “a very big one for us. It leaves us tied for third and a shot at the playoffs. The key was that we mixed up our defenses and that took their big shooters out of the game. We knew we had to be really defensively. I have a lot of respect for Ken and his program, and we know we always have to be really ready when we play them.
“We don’t have any real heroes in our lineup.
“Everybody has to fill that role, and they did it well tonight. Lorence had a career high for us, Schubert (Jon) came off the bench and gave us a lot of help, Fowler rebounded and Moon and Curtis hit free throws in overtime. Everybody did something to key the win.”
Lorence led JM with 13 point, and Moon and Fowler had 12 each.
Dale Speggen led Geibel and the game with 18, including four 3-point goals. Travis Welc had 12, and White 11.
Misiak said, “They made us take too many forced shots. They were in a tough man-for-man and forced us to take shots we shouldn’t have. Another big factor was them hitting their free throws in overtime.
“The loss leaves us in a spot I didn’t want us to be, in a 3-way tie for a playoff spot. Now we have to try to get back on the winning track again. We go to West Greene on Tuesday, then play Mapletown at home Friday.”