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Home > Blogs > Springfield, Ohio High School Sports > Archives > 2009 > March > 15 > Entry
On this date in area sports history …
Thirteen years ago on this date, March 15, 1996, the Catholic Central boys basketball team beat Southeastern to advance to the final four for the second straight season. Complete story on the jump.
LITTLE GOES LONG WAY FOR IRISH
CENTRAL HEADS BACK TO COLUMBUS
By Steve Jacoby, News-Sun Sports Writer
A few minutes after Catholic Central wrapped up its second straight trip to the Division IV final four in Columbus with a 59-40 regional final win over Southeastern Friday night, Jason Collier made the rounds at the University of Dayton Arena, hugging teammates, friends and family alike.
After pausing to thank all the little people, the 7-foot Irish center — in the most diplomatic tone he could muster — told them to bug off.
“I hate playing against smaller kids,” said Collier, who led everybody with 22 points and 11 rebounds. “I like to play kids my own size. Then, you only have one guy on you.”
Central, 22-3, will play Cardington-Lincoln, 24-2, in a state semifinal game at 9 p.m. Friday. Cardington-Lincoln defeated Norwalk St. Paul, 70-48, Friday.
In the other semifinal, Lincolnview, 25-0, will face Dalton, 25-1, at 6 p.m. Friday. Central lost in the Division IV state final a year ago to Liberty Benton.
“Tonight, they (Southeastern) had to play dirty and make me move around more,” the Indiana University signee continued. “But I’ve got to learn to play through it. That’s how it’ll be in the Big Ten.”
For one night, the Big Ten took a backseat to the Small Five. The Irish repeatedly exploited a nine-inch (or more) height advantage with arcing lob passes into the paint. Collier took over from there.
Even though the Trojans flocked to Collier like secret service agents to a president, the Irish center was able to establish inside position, brush off the three or four defenders nipping at his ankles and somehow find his way to the basket.
“Our game plan,” Southeastern Coach Jim Justice said, “was to beat him up.”
Southeastern may have landed a couple of jabs, but Collier provided the knockout punch when he helped erase a game-opening 5-1 Southeastern lead.
Led by 10 straight Collier points, Central charged to a decisive 22-2 run over the next 6:59. The Trojans never got closer than 10 points the rest of the way, and Collier was much of the reason for that, too.
Collier was officially credited with two blocks, yet altered innumberable other shots. Collier’s runway wingspan was enough to keep Southeastern out of the paint and content to shoot rainbow jumpers.
“You can practice guarding Collier,” Central Coach Tony Ricciuto said, “but you can’t practice being guarded by Collier.”
Southeastern’s fear of heights — specifically Collier — translated into 35 percent shooting.
“We had people lining up under his arms,” said Justice, whose team’s Cinderella season ended at 18-7. “We were bugging him to death. Usually, their heads were just hitting his armpits anyway.”
Southeastern’s defensive strategy mirrored the philosophy Cincinnati Madeira used in a 39-38 loss to Central on Tuesday. The Trojans denied Irish point guard Jason Ronai the basketball and held the Central senior to 11 points — on four of 11 shooting — and six assists. Jon Powell added 13 points for Central.
Even though Brad Billet scored 14 points and Casey Donaldson added 13, the Southeastern offense lacked direction.
“To upset Catholic Central, you need to play tight defense. We did that,” Justice said. “We didn’t do one thing and that’s score enough. But that’s a big thing in basketball.”
If they couldn’t score, Southeastern tried its best to bore.
Taking a page from the Princeton playbook, the Trojans hoped to suck between 30-35 seconds off the clock on every trip downcourt, shortening the game and intensifying the importance of every possession.
While it had the spirit of Pete Carril — whose Princeton Tigers toppled defending national champion UCLA with slowdown tactics Thursday — it had the success of a Wile E. Coyote brainstorming session.
The Trojans’ waltz worked for exactly one possession before a flurry of first-quarter turnovers — six in all — combined with Central’s relentless pressure to put the strategy, and Southeastern, on ice.
“Our ballhandling didn’t match up with their pressure,” said Justice, whose team turned the ball over 18 times. “They started overplaying the passing lanes and, before we knew it, we were down 10-12 points.”
When the Trojans knew what hit them, it was too late. The Irish were already busy booking reservations at Ohio State University’s St. John Arena.
“I had visions all day of cutting down the nets and waving towels,” said Ricciuto, who did both.
Ricciuto also found time in the final minute of the game to trade in his swanky blue-streaked tie for a more traditional blue neckwear speckled with green three-leaf clovers.
Ricciuto got the tie from an Irish booster and promised him he would wear it during the game.
Typical Central. Remembering the little people. Sometimes they can be hard to forget.
SOUTHEASTERN (40) — Ferguson 2-7 1-2 5, Donaldson 5-12 3-4 13, Kitchen 2-5 0-0 4, Rice 1-4 0-0 2, Billet 5-14 2-2 14, Gaston 1-2 0-0 2, Hootman 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 16-46 6-8 40.
CATHOLIC CENTRAL (59) — Yirak 1-1 1-2 4, Silvers 0-4 0-0 0, Collier 7-12 7-8 22, Ronai 4-11 2-2 11, Hannon 1-3 0-0 2, Shutte 0-1 0-0 0, Moore 0-2 1-2 1, Evilsizor 1-1 0-0 2, Talbott 2-3 0-0 4, Powell 5-8 2-2 13. Totals: 21-46 13-16 59.
Southeastern 7 10 9 14 40
Catholic Central17 13 11 18 59
Three-point goals: Southeastern 2-17 (Ferguson 0-2, Donaldson 0-3, Kitchen 0-2, Rice 0-2, Billet 2-7, Hootman 0-1), Central 4-14 (Yirak 1-1, Silvers 0-4, Collier 1-2, Ronai 1-3, Shutte 0-1, Powell 1-3). Rebounds: Southeastern 27 (Ferguson, Donaldson, Billet 5), Central 31 (Collier 11). Assists: Southeastern 7 (Billet 3), Central 13 (Ronai 6). Turnovers: Southeastern 18, Central 12. Attendance: 4,549. Records: Southeastern 18-7, Central 22-3.
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