(CHAMBERSBURG, Pa.) – A full-court pass by
Bryce Smith (Jr., Bryan, Texas / A&M Consolidated / Medaille) found
Darryl Garib (Sr., Dallas, Texas / Forest Park) for a 3-pointer with one second left to give Wilson a miraculous victory over Notre Dame on Tuesday evening. It was a storybook ending as Garib's shot secured the top seed for the Phoenix in the Skye Division for the United East Championship tournament which starts this weekend.
On top of all that, it was also Senior Night for the Blue and White. In addition to Garib,
Ibraheem Bundu (Bowie, Md. / Largo / CCBC Dundalk), Devin Thomas (Waldorf, Md. / Westlake / Southern Maryland), Gary Robertson (Washington, D.C. / Potomac / Bryant & Stratton), Jordan Miles (Waldorf, Md. / Westlake), and
Darren Green (Silver Spring, Md. / Springbrook) were honored before the game.
The Basics
Score: Wilson 76, Notre Dame 75
Venue: Gannett Field House
Records: Wilson 15-10, 13-3 Skye; Notre Dame 3-19, 3-13 Skye
How It Happened
- After a back-and-forth start to the contest, Notre Dame started to inch ahead late in the first half. Jackson Pugh hit a 3-pointer to give the Gators a 26-24 lead with 6:30 to go in the half, and it was an advantage they kept until the final aforementioned shot. Another trey by Jalen Yates and a jumper by Pugh closed the half with Notre Dame up 40-31.
- Robertson was able to hit a 3-pointer for the Phoenix to cut the deficit to 49-43 with 13:37 on the clock, but the Gators answered with an 11-2 run aided by eight points from Yates with two more 3-pointers.
- After a timeout, Ward-Hoyte sparked the Phoenix offense by driving the lane and making a layup on an assist from Garib. After a Gators turnover, Ward-Hoyte dropped in another layup on a dish from Robertson. As Notre Dame scored, he was able to keep Wilson in contention with another pair inside giving him 10 points in a span of 2:42.
- Despite that, Notre Dame still held a 73-65 lead as the clock ticked under two minutes. Looking to make it a two-possession game, Ward-Hoyte missed on a layup, but Garib was able to secure the rebound and put-back. After he was fouled on a defensive rebound, Miles made a free throw to make it a five-point game. A shot clock violation gave the Phoenix further life and Robertson was able to make it as he was fouled on a driving layup and made the and-one free throw to make the score 73-71 with 1:06 to go.
- After Miles pulled in another rebound on Notre Dame's return trip, Ward-Hoyte's final bucket tied the game with 17 seconds on the clock. However, the Gators were able to regain the lead after a K'Won Johnson layup with exactly 1.0 remaining.
- After a timeout, Wilson had its first look thwarted by the Gators' defense, but Smith used the final timeout in the bank for the Phoenix. Once play resumed, Smith reached back and launched the ball to the left wing in front of the Wilson bench on the opposite side of the court. After corralling the ball that made it by a Gators' defender looking to tip the ball away, Garib sank the shot sending the Wilson fans into a jubilee.
Inside The Numbers
- Garib's trey was his only one of the night and gave him 24 points for the game. He was 9-of-15 from the field and pulled down four rebounds, three of which were on the offensive end. All three resulted in successful put-back attempts by him.
- Ethan Wilson (Jr., Manassas, Va. / Osbourn Park) and Ward-Hoyte also had strong nights with both finishing with 16 points each. Ethan Wilson led the offense in the first half as he scored a baker's dozen in the opening 20. Ward-Hoyte picked up the baton in the second half with 12.
- Ward-Hoyte was nearly unstoppable down the stretch as he went 6-for-7 in with an offensive rebound and an assist in the final 10 minutes. He finished the night 8-for-10.
- Overall the Phoenix shot 53.7% (29-of-54) from the field. It's the sixth time this season they've shot over .500 and the third-best shooting percentage in a game this season.
For The Gators
- The Gators were led by Yates who finished with 20 points and was 7-of-10 from the field. Most of them were from behind the arc where he was 6-of-9.
- Johnson added 13 points, while Jahbreco Dacosta led all players with 15 rebounds.
Up Next
With the top seed secure, the Phoenix will receive a bye to the Skye Division semifinals on Monday. Their opponent will be determined in the quarterfinals which will be played on Saturday.
