ERIE, PA – Medaille and Hilbert squared off this afternoon on the campus of Penn St.-Behrend for the AMCC Championship.
Medaille erased a double-digit second half deficit and pulled out an (81-76) overtime win in dramatic fashion to win the AMCC Championship and receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Ryan Grandits was huge in the win.
He had a team high (26) points
and (10) rebounds.Medaille had a three-point lead with under ten seconds on the clock, when Hilbert hit a deep three-pointer to send the game to overtime.
The Mavs started the overtime session on a (7-0) run and the held on for their first AMCC Championship since the 2011-12 season.
Hilbert got off to a great start building a twelve point lead (17-5) at the (11:37) mark of the first half.
Medaille responded though, cutting the lead to four points (21-17) on a
Ryan Grandits (Kenmore, NY, Kenmore West High School) three-pointer with a little over seven minutes remaining in the half.
Hilbert replied as they got hot from downtown and used several three-pointers to build their lead back to double-digits (34-23).
Hilbert went into the half with a (39-31) lead. Hilbert was (13-28, 46.4%) from the field, holding a large advantage over Medaille (8-28, 28.6%).
Johnathan Belton hit some
big free throws down the
stretch. He finished
with (23) points. Ryan Grandits led all scorers at the half, accounting for (15) of Medaille's (31) first half points.
The Hawks were led by Sean Weisansal with (11) points.
Hilbert and Medaille opened up the second half playing the game very even, as the lead remained in Hilbert's favor with neither team gaining any ground.
The Mavs cut the lead to six points (54-48) on a pair of free throws by
Jammal Coleman (Rochester, NY, Aquinas Institute) with (10:57) remaining in the second half.
Chris Willingham (Nashville, TN, East Literature) got the Mavs within a point with a three-pointer from the corner to make the score (57-56).
The Mavericks and Hilbert exchanged buckets back and forth with Hilbert continuing to maintain a slight lead.
With just under three minutes remaining in the second half, Medaille tied the game up on a Jammal Coleman fifteen-footer, this was the first time the game had been tied since it was (0-0).
Cooper Calzonetti had a huge
impact in the defensive zone.
He had (4) blocks and (5) steals. Following a defensive stop, Ryan Grandits put the Mavericks in front for the first time (66-64) with a contested basket.
After several defensive stops on both ends, Medaille held the ball with a with a (66-64) lead and (:55.1) remaining.
Medaille used the clock to their advantage and after a Chris Willingham miss,
Johnathan Belton (Amherst, NY, Amherst) grabbed an offensive rebound on the play and then was sent to the line to shoot two baskets with (:26.3) remaining.
Belton buried both shots to make it a two possessions basketball game (68-64).
Hilbert's Jordan Kumro drew a foul for Hilbert with (:15.2) remaining and hit both shots to cut the Mavericks lead to two points (68-66).
The Hawks quickly fouled and sent Belton back to the line with (:13.4) remaining. Belton hit the first shot, and missed on the second but Hilbert was not able to make a play and turned the ball back over to Medaille with (:08.8) remaining on the clock.
The Mavericks missed both free throws which opened the door for Hilbert to tie the game with a three-pointer.
Hilbert's Sean Weisansal did just that, hitting a shot from well behind the three-point line to tie the game up (69-69).
Jammal Coleman finished with
(19) points and came up with the
game clinching steal.Medaille's last second shot at the buzzer fell short and the game went to overtime.
Chris Willingham quickly put the Mavericks back out in front, hitting a three-pointer on the opening possession in overtime.
A pair of Grandits free throws put the Mavericks ahead (74-69) a minute into overtime.
After another defensive stop, Willingham struck again from just inside the three-point line extending the run to (7-0) to start overtime.
Hilbert answered back though and cut the lead to two points on another three-pointer by Weisansal with a little over a minute left in overtime.
Chris Willingham was sent to the line with (:27.4) and a chance to put the Mavericks up by two possessions. He hit both free throws making the score (78-74).
Hilbert's Trevor Stark cut the lead to two points with (:10.8) remaining.
The Hawks quickly fouled on the inbound, sending Jammal Coleman to the line to shoot two with (:09.7) remaining.
Coleman hit one of two free throws to put Medaille up by three points and then stole a Hilbert pass on the next possession to seal the win for the Mavericks as he added one more basket as time expired.
Mike Blaine wins his first AMCC
title in his first year at the helm."I can not describe how proud I am of our team, " head coach
Mike Blaine said following the win. "We continued to compete when things weren't breaking our way. Eventually we found our footing and were able to find a way to overcome an incredibly talented and tough Hilbert team."
This win gives rookie head coach Mike Blaine his first Championship, after taking over the reigns just a month before the season started.
Ryan Grandits led the Mavericks with (26) points and (10) rebounds. Grandits was (10-13) from the field.
Belton also had a very efficient game. He had (23) points and was (7-12) from the field.
Jammal Coleman finished with (19) points, (7) rebounds.
Cooper Calzonetti (Neptune, NJ, Neptune High School) had a great game on the defensive end. He had (5) steals, (4) blocks and (7) rebounds.
Hilbert's Sean Weisansal led the Hawks with (26) points, including the three-pointer that sent the game to overtime.
Jammal Coleman and Chris Willingham were named to the AMCC Championship All-Tournament Team following the game,
Medaille (19-7, 14-4 AMCC) will now have to sit and wait to see where they have to go next week for the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.