“I told myself right then, I’m not letting them go by me,” Combs said. “I’m getting a stop. We just had to get one and get back on a run.”
Combs scored 15 points, hounded Princeton star Kam Mercer for four quarters and helped the Firebirds survive a furious rally for a 58-53 Greater Miami Conference victory Friday in a showcase that felt far bigger than a regular-season game.
Lakota West — the No. 1 team in the state — scored the first 18 points and led 18-5 after one quarter. But Princeton — the No. 2 team in the state — clawed back behind its pressure defense and tied the game at 50 on Rognny Santiago’s 3-pointer with 1:10 remaining.
Andre Richardson answered with four clutch free throws in the final minute, and the Firebirds got consecutive stops to close it out.
Joshua Tyson scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting for Lakota West, Combs added seven rebounds, and Richardson finished with 12 points while going 5 for 5 from the line. The Firebirds shot 59 percent from the field and finished 7 of 10 at the stripe.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Princeton was led by Mercer and A’mire Gill with 16 points apiece. Santiago hit four 3s and finished with 12, but the Vikings shot just 2 of 13 in the opening quarter and 19 of 49 overall, including 6 of 24 from deep.
“I knew — I’ve been around basketball a long time — we had the juice,” Lakota West coach Kelven Moss said. “The first thing, I had to get us settled in. I knew they were going to have a run. Great game. I think we did something special for Cincinnati.”
Princeton’s run arrived in the second quarter. Its traps created turnovers and transition chances, fueling a 10-2 burst that trimmed the deficit to 26-20 at halftime. The Vikings pulled within 43-38 entering the fourth and briefly took their first lead on a Mercer dunk that electrified their sideline.
“That was immaturity by me because I’m over there jumping up and down and excited,” Princeton coach Bryan Wyant said. “In my mind I’m like, ‘OK, we’re all right, we got it.’ As long as I’ve been coaching, I should have handled that situation better.”
Lakota West responded with defense. The Firebirds recorded 13 steals — four each by Tyson Davis and Combs — to offset Princeton’s 15 offensive rebounds.
“Mercer is real good, obviously, but I knew if I stayed in front and contested his shots, it would be hard for him,” Combs said. “I knew I had to step up. Josh didn’t really have much going and Bryce picked up four fouls early in the second half, so it was a big moment for me.”
Moss said Combs requested the assignment.
“He was set on guarding Kam the entire game,” Moss said. “We just thought it was a great matchup. We’re not going to shut a good player down, we just want to make it hard as heck for him all night.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
The night was Moss’ idea — moving a home game to Xavier to highlight two of the city’s top programs.
“That’s what I wanted to do. I had so many people call me and say, ‘Why would you give up a home game?’ I wanted everybody to see this,” Moss said. “First of all, you get two great coaches, two African-American coaches who are running good programs. We get an opportunity to showcase this to everybody in Cincinnati, man. It’s amazing.”
Wyant, who said he grew up attending Division I regionals in the same building, called the atmosphere unforgettable.
“Being a part of it tonight was special,” Wyant said. “I hope what they take from it is the hunger to get back — 100 percent.”
Combs soaked in the scene afterward.
“That environment was crazy,” he said. “It’s once in a lifetime — but hopefully we can do it again.”
Lakota West (18-1, 13-0 GMC) hosts Colerain next Friday and can clinch at least a share of the GMC title with a win. Princeton (14-2, 10-2 GMC) hosts Trotwood-Madison on Saturday.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
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