The St. X basketball team has beat Trinity once again. The Tigers added to their undefeated record against KHSAA competition this season (15-0) with an OT thriller against the rival Shamrocks this past Sunday at Bellarmine.
The Tigers, coming off back-to-back LIT Championships, matched up with Trinity for the second time in a week after defeating them 68-44 in the final the previous weekend. This week was a different story. Trailing the whole game, the team came back from a fourteen point deficit in the second half thanks to senior guard Chance Dillingham and senior captain Will Hanke who hit a buzzer-beater as regulation ended to tie the game at 63.
“My only other buzzer beater in my life was in an AAU game with only twenty people in the gym, so it didn’t compare to the magnitude of that shot,” Hanke said. “It swung the momentum of the game, and was an incredible moment that I will never forget.”
Dillingham’s massive night consisted of 26 points with 16 free throws. He led the Tigers in scoring despite their early team struggles shooting only 23% from the field and 33% from beyond the arch in the 1st half, but it seems as if the Tigers always find a way, getting to the free throw line 24 times in the second half while making 17 of them.
The momentum started to shift as junior Jeremiah Jackson hit two clutch threes in the first moments of the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to three and lighting up the striped Rage Cage. The guard combo of junior Chief Cameron and sophomore Brandon Dayes took over overtime, adding back-to-back and-one layups to solidify the teams’ first lead of the night. They combined for a total of 19 points.
“It was a good feeling and great to contribute to a win,” Dayes said. “Special things are ahead of this team, we have to keep playing together.” The sophomore guard finished the game with nine points, three assists, and five rebounds.
At the end of the game, Jackson threw down a two-handed slam that put the exclamation mark on the hard fought battle. The fourth quarter and overtime margin was 19 points favoring the Tigers, propelling the guys in gold to the 77-67 victory. Hanke and Jackson both had double-doubles (12pts/10rbs) and (11pts/10rbs).
The Rage Cage was a major factor in this comeback. Coach Glaser described it as the best he has ever seen, as all four grades participated in the striped-cage theme. Seniors and sophomores wore gold, while juniors and freshman donned green. This energy gave the team a great advantage, as Hanke described it as “absolutely electric.”
The Tigers will look to add to their current 18-2 record Tuesday in the Sterne Gym. This will be their first game played there since 2008, as it is a part of a throwback series around the city. They will take on the Eastern Eagles and continue their hunt for a State Championship.
