LAS VEGAS – You, like myself, may have been on hand for each of the first eight Tarkanian Classics.
But you, also like myself, never saw anything quite like what took place in the championship game of the Platinum Division of the ninth year of the event Tuesday night at Bishop Gorman.
The host Gaels only trailed Liberty by 16 points at intermission because reserve guard Eli Bradley buried a 3-pointer from the right corner at the buzzer.
But Coach Grant Rice’s club, in a relentless, frantic and often chaotic final 24 minutes – a 16-minute second half and two four-minute overtimes – stunned the visitors, 97-95, to remain unbeaten while handing the Patriots a gut-twisting first loss.
Six-foot-eight, Saint Mary’s College-bound Joshua Jefferson – capping the most outstanding individual performance I’ve seen this season with 41 points and 14 rebounds —knocked in a couple of free throws to tie the score with 14 seconds to go in the second OT.
Following a timeout, the Gaels – with their best player, forward Darrion Williams, on the bench after having fouled out with 16 seconds to go in the first OT – got the ball into the frontcourt, where it ended up in the capable hands of slick and clever sophomore guard, John Mobley Jr. on the left wing.
A couple of dribbles later, Mobley pump faked a defender out of his line of sight and swished a jumper from about 18 feet away as the buzzer sounded to end a contest that was significant mixes of stunning individual play, as remarkable example of a team not panicking with a huge deficit as you’ll find, some – uh – interesting calls and non-calls by the officiating crew and, finally, near exhaustion for all concerned.
Even after the Gaels (10-0) had seemingly pushed the visitors – who’ve never beaten the dominant program in the state — to collapse, especially when sophomore guard D.J. Thomas was involved in a “double-foul” call by an official, sending him to the bench with his fifth foul with 3:26 to go in regulation.
But the Patriots’ advantage was still five points with less than a minute to go.
Freshman Chris Nwuli – who had some major moments off the bench – blocked what might have been a clinching layup by Aaron Price and Northern Arizona-bound guard Ryan Abelman dropped in a 3 to get the hosts to within 75-73 with 36 seconds to go.
Abelman picked off a pass and Williams was fouled with nine seconds to go and – despite a Liberty timeout after his first make – hit both free throws and the game was bound for its first overtime.
That overtime center jump didn’t take place right away, though, because sophomore Ryan Elisaldez had hit a 40-footer to win the game for the Gaels.
A lot of Bishop Gorman players, coaches and fans thought that was the case, anyway.
But, after players were sent back to their benches, the three-remember officiating crew conferred and ruled – correctly – that the shot had been launched a couple of seconds after the buzzer.
Jefferson scored all 12 of his team’s points in the first OT but an Abelman 3 with four seconds to go set the stage for another four minutes.
And we know how those ended up.
In the earlier Nike Gold Division final, also played on the main gymnasium floor at Bishop Gorman, Irvine (CA) Crean Lutheran improved to 8-0 with its 73-64 win over Plano (TX) John Paul II to enhance its status as one of the handful of the best teams in California.
Sophomore guard Vyctorius Miller (15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists) and UC Santa Barbara-bound forward Koat Keat (21 points and 14 rebounds) led the way for the Saints, who open Gold Bracket play at Classic at Damien against Oak Park next Monday.
My 15 “all-Tarkanian Classic” selections (based upon games I watched in person)
Most Outstanding Player: Joshua Jefferson (Bishop Gorman)
All-Tournament:
Ryan Abelman (Bishop Gorman)
T.J. Caldwell (Faith Family Academy)
JoJo Hunter (Fresno San Joaquin Memorial)
Austin Johnson (Richmond, CA, Salesian)
R.J. Jones (John Paul II)
Koat Keat (Crean Lutheran)
Liam McNeely (John Paul II)
Vyctorius Miller (Crean Lutheran)
John Mobley Jr. (Bishop Gorman)
Cavan Reilly (Arlington, VA, O’Connell)
Noah Shelby (Greenhill School)
Dedan Thomas Jr. (Liberty)
Darrion Williams (Bishop Gorman)
Andre Young (Mableton, GA, Pebblebrook)
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