Bank.
The buzzer-beater sent Princeton into the fourth quarter with momentum — and ultimately helped deliver a 64-49 Division I district championship win.
On the flip side, it was the kind of moment that summed up Hamilton’s season defined by adversity and narrow margins.
For nearly three quarters, Hamilton had executed the type of game plan needed to challenge one of Ohio’s best teams.
The Big Blue opened with physical defense, building a 10-7 lead after the first quarter. Even when Princeton responded, Hamilton stayed within striking distance, only trailing 26-22 at halftime.
The game remained a possession battle throughout the third quarter with teams trading buckets and defensive swings and the score tied six different times heading into the fourth quarter.
But Hamilton had its chances.
“We’re going to look back at that third quarter,” Hamilton coach Jake Turner said. “We had some missed layups that could have taken the lead. We just couldn’t get over that hump.”
Then came the sequence that shifted everything.
Johnson-Perdomo missed the free throw and Phillips launched his heave that miraculously fell through the net as .5 seconds ran off the clock.
“That was wild,” Princeton star Kam Mercer said. “Honestly, nobody’s probably going to believe me, but I called it. I told them if somebody gets it, just throw it up.
“When it went in, we knew that was the spark we needed going into the fourth quarter.”
Princeton finds its moment
The shot wasn’t the only fortunate bounce Princeton found.
Vikings coach Bryan Wyant pointed to several momentum plays — including a 3-pointer at the end of the first half — that helped Princeton stay ahead.
“To win in the tournament, you have to be good, but you have to be lucky,” Wyant said. “We got the three at the end of the half and the miracle shot at the end of the third. Those kept us afloat.”
Princeton took advantage.
Mercer finished with 20 points and helped spark an early fourth-quarter run that created separation. The Vikings emphasized intensity in the opening minutes of the final period.
Mercer said the team made its intentions clear in the huddle.
“He came in and said it’s winning time,” Wyant said of Mercer. “Those guys were talking about the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, and that’s exactly what they did.”
Defensively, Princeton also turned up its pressure. Wyant said the Vikings focused on denying Hamilton easy inbound passes, which forced several key turnovers that led to points.
“Things that don’t require talent — like not letting the ball in,” Wyant said. “We got a couple of those that turned into points. Those plays make a difference in games like this.”
A season defined by resilience
Hamilton’s effort in the district final reflected how much of its time was spent during the season adapting to challenges.
Johnson-Perdomo led the Big Blue with 20 points, including 8-of-9 shooting from the free-throw line. Elijah Jones added 10.
But Hamilton entered Saturday’s game short-handed.
Junior guard Knox Mills was ruled out after suffering a foot injury the night before the contest — another setback in a stretch that had already included multiple injuries.
“Losing Knox and not having time to prepare without him was tough,” Turner said. “We kind of had to figure out a plan at shootaround this morning.”
Turner praised several players for stepping into expanded roles, particularly sophomore Jahari Gilbert, who filled minutes in Mills’ absence.
“I thought Jahari stepped up and played some really good minutes,” Turner said. “Getting that experience will be huge moving forward.”
Hamilton lost to Princeton 49-45 during the regular season in a similarly tight contest. That game, however, came before Mercer had returned from injury for the Vikings.
Saturday’s meeting again proved competitive — until the final surge.
Hamilton committed 18 turnovers and never quite found the basket that could push it ahead.
“We felt like we played really well in the first half,” Turner said. “But we were down four instead of up a couple possessions. That changes the mindset.”
The loss ends the season for Hamilton (14-10), which graduates six seniors — Jordan Bryant, Khamauri Bridges-Sawyer, Camauire Pruitt, Nate Besingi, Titus Graham and RJ Wilson.
Turner said the experience could shape the program’s future.
“We got the silver one,” Turner said of the district runner-up trophy. “Next year we want the gold one. We want to be back here and be on the other end.”
Princeton (21-3), ranked No. 2 in the state behind Lakota West, advanced to face Wayne in a Division I regional semifinal at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Xavier.
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