DeSales prevails in tough win over Watterson

Tuesday, January 26, 2010
By SETH SHANER

There's little chance either team in the DeSales-Watterson rivalry is going to come out without emotion, regardless of the athletic endeavor.

So it came as no surprise when both schools' boys basketball squads played at a fever pitch rivaled only by the fan support from both sides at Ohio Dominican University Friday, Jan. 22.

The Stallions (13-2, 5-0 Central Catholic League) brought more size and a more up-tempo style to the table, and prevailed 71-59, but the Eagles (10-4, 3-2) were able to slow things down in the second half.

"We got off to a good start, and we got the game going the way we wanted to," DeSales coach Blair Albright said, "but clearly you're not going to win every minute of that game. (Watterson) did a good job of dictating tempo. We were really making some poor decisions with our shot selection and that played a lot into it."

After a tight first quarter, DeSales pulled ahead 37-25 at halftime.

Watterson came out of the locker room, slowed things down and established a pace more fitting of its style, but still trailed by 11 (49-38) heading into the fourth.

"We did (establish our tempo) more in the second half," Watterson coach Vince Lombardo said. "The first half was all their tempo and we didn't play very well. We missed some easy shots and free throws.

"From the third quarter into about the mid-fourth, it was more our game, but we couldn't quite cut it all the way down. We got it to five, so we couldn't quite get all the way back."

The Stallions didn't look quite the same coming out of halftime.

"I thought our urgency in the second half was a big problem," Albright said. "We weren't getting loose balls or rebounding like we did in the first half. We gave them multiple chances to control the ball in the second half."

A pair of Mike Tighe three-pointers, sandwiched around a Zack Riddle deuce, capped an 8-2 run, cutting it into a five-point deficit, and when the Stallions' Nick Kellogg picked up a technical foul, on top of a personal foul on Aaron Selmek, Riddle knocked down four straight free throws to keep the margin at seven with 2:17 to play.

But DeSales' Clinton James scored seven points in the final two minutes to aide his team's effort in extending the lead.

Sam Borghese also had a bucket in the final moments.

"We went to some guys who frankly haven't played in a lot of huge-minute situations," Albright explained, "and they did a great job.

"Hat's off to our veteran guys, our seniors, too. I thought they made some real critical plays and just dug in and started playing defense. Eventually we thought we'd wear them down with our pressure, and I think that played a real factor late."

Tighe led all scorers with 22 points, and Riddle added 10, but a quintet of Stallions scored in double figures, including: Kellogg (14), Selmek (14), James (13), Chi Chi Ariguzo (11) and Adam Griffin (11).

Selmek was especially effective in the first half, using his 6-8 frame to create a mismatch.

"We focus on getting up and down the floor and playing defense," the center said. "They look for me to get baskets inside and play defense."

Lombardo felt the Stallions were able to dictate more than just tempo with their size.

"They're a little more physical than we are overall and that hurt us a little bit," he said. "From that aspect, I think the type of game that's called is also critical and we weren't too pleased with that.

"With that being said, we let them get us out of what we wanted to do in the first half offensively, and we didn't guard as well."

DeSales went on to defeat Wilmington 65-62 in double overtime at the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic at Ohio State Saturday, Jan. 23.

Kellogg scored 27 points and Griffin added 18.

The game was the Stallions' fifth in eight days, but when the chance to play at the Schottenstein Center came, Albright couldn't turn it down.

"That's something I struggled with," the coach said, "but at the same time playing at the Schott is such a valuable experience for the kids."

The Eagles are to travel to St. Charles Friday, Jan. 29, at 8 p.m.

DeSales is to host Worthington Christian Jan. 29, at 8 p.m.