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Saturday, December 9, 2017 | BataviasBest.org
It was an instant classic at Notre Dame High School last night, as the Fighting Irish overcame a near-ten point deficit in the second half in order to come back and beat longtime rival Elba in overtime – by the final score of 74-72.
Ahead 31-30 at the halftime break, Notre Dame watched their small advantage quickly dissipate to begin the second half, and at the end of the third quarter it was Elba who was out in front by a seven point margin.
However, refusing to fold, the Irish bulled their necks and were able to work their deficit down to within striking distance in the final seconds – thanks to a few missed free throws from the Lancers.
With 15 seconds to go in regulation, a clutch three-pointer from ND’s Andrew Moore cut the score to 64-63 Elba, and Notre Dame would foul one last time and send the Lancers to the line for two shots – still with a chance to tie, even if they were to make both free throws. This was not the case, though, as Elba in fact went on to miss both foul shots – and Notre Dame’s Gabe MacDonald secured the rebound with five seconds on the clock.
Then, in an attempt to go the length of the floor for the game-winning layup, MacDonald was fouled near the three-point line as he approached the hoop, and crashed to the floor in pain. The result of the play was two shots awarded to the ND guard – who had a chance to win the game.
As the dust settled following the referees call, and the other official searched for the shooter, it was suddenly apparent that MacDonald was still on the ground, grasping his leg in pain. He was quickly tended to, and once it was made clear that he was going to be unable to shoot – the Irish began to search for another available shooter.
They chose Zach Cocking.
Cocking came on for the injured MacDonald and sank the first of two shots, but then went on to miss the second off the back of the rim – which sent the game to overtime.
During the extra session, it was the Irish who controlled the action, as they quickly went up by five to begin the period and then staved off a late Elba surge in order to secure the two-point win.
The victory was a big one for Notre Dame, who is beginning their slate without senior standout Ryan Moffat – as he is still recovering from an injury he suffered during the football season.
In his stead, Nico Zambito put forth a herculean effort which included 26 points, and several big shots throughout ND’s fourth quarter run. Also, starting point guard Spencer Misiti finished with 14 points, and 6’7″ forward Keith Szcepanski bullied his way to 13 points.
For Elba in the loss, Colton Dillon led the way with 23 points, and Collin O’Halloran recorded 15 of his own.
Next up for the Irish (2-0) will be another league matchup, with Lyndonville. Elba (2-1) looks forward to a league tilt with Wheatland-Chili.
Other articles you may like:
Friday’s HS Sports Scoreboard (12/08/2017) – Stats from each contest last night are included
