Saturday, January 20, 2001

By Steve Blackledge
Dispatch Sports Reporter

DeSales might not have a player as electric as Ready's remarkable Dashon Harper, but the Stallions generated enough power collectively last night to register a Central Catholic League boys basketball victory.

Tony Borghese made one clutch play after another and 6-foot-8 Jim Schmall blocked a shot with three seconds left, enabling host DeSales to repel Ready 59- 56 before a jam-packed crowd that got its money's worth and then some.

"Regardless of who you were rooting for, that game was what high school basketball is all about," DeSales coach Dan Garrick said.

Thanks to Harper, a 6-foot junior guard who scored a career-high 34 points, Ready twice whittled a 21-point first-half deficit to two.

A running three-pointer by Shaun Castorano with 15 seconds left pulled the Silver Knights (10-2, 4-1) to 56-54, but Richie McNally answered with two free throws at the 12.1-second mark.

Harper hit an amazing spinner in the lane to make it 58-56, then after a timeout, the Stallions' Nathan Frost threw the inbounds away with 5.3 seconds left.

DeSales successfully snuffed out a double screen intended to free Harper, so the inbounds went to Brian Krautter. His turnaround jumper under the basket was partially deflected by Schmall, who was inserted only moments earlier.

"I was thinking they'd get it to Harper and he might penetrate and kick it backside," Schmall said. "I just tried to keep straight up and get in his face."

Ready coach Bob Ghiloni argued unsuccessfully for a foul. TV replays indicated that Schmall might have gotten a piece of Krautter's arm.

"I'm not saying a word about it," Ghiloni said. "I don't want to get in trouble. DeSales did a great job fighting through our double screen and they covered Dashon like a blanket. Considering the circumstances, we got a great look at the basket."

Garrick said he held his breath during Schmall's block.

"There was some contact ... but there was all night," he said. "If I were Bob, I'd probably feel the same way. The bottom line is Jim Schmall did just what we put him in there to do."

McNally sank another free throw with less than a second left as DeSales defeated Ready for the first time in eight meetings.

Borghese, an All-Ohio quarterback in football, scored nine of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, helping DeSales (11-1, 6-0) repel the furious comeback. Three times when the Silver Knights closed to three points, Borghese answered.

"I like the ball in those kinds of situations," Borghese said. "Besides, we weren't moving around without the ball well and somebody had to step up and deliver."

On Borghese, Garrick said, "When I watch him play, I think of a guy named Jay Burson. That kid's heart is about 6-9."

Frost scored all 15 of his points, including three three-point shots in the first nine minutes when DeSales led 28-7.

"I'm always a little leery when you jump out to a big lead like that because it's hard to convince the guys that it's not going to come this easy the rest of the way," Garrick said.

Ghiloni couldn't explain Ready's abysmal start but was proud of the comeback.

"There were a few times late in the game where nobody seemed to want to shoot," he said. "I guess they've sort of accepted that crunch time is Dashon's time, but you can't wait around for one person to do it by himself."