MOUNT VERNON ? The first 13 minutes of the Division VII boys district championship had Newark Catholic's large contingent of fans roaring with delight Friday in Mount Vernon Nazarene's Ariel Arena.
Their ninth-seeded Green Wave, a huge underdog, had built a 14-point lead on top-seed Patriot Prep.
However, the highly-regarded Eagles enjoyed an advantage in size and athleticism at nearly every position, and over the final 19 minutes, they asserted it.
NC (8-17) rode senior Griffin Urdarovski's 18-point first-half explosion to a 28-14 lead, only to see Patriot (18-6) blitz them 44-17 the rest of the way for a 58-45 win and a regional semifinal berth at 8 p.m. Thursday at Ohio Dominican.
"We were fired up to play in a district championship," said Urdarovski "It was our first in a couple of years, and a great opportunity to change things around, after a season of ups and downs."
He had three 3-pointers and made all seven of his foul shots in the first half.
First-year head coach Jamie Cox, a Green Wave alum and longtime assistant, said NC wasn't going to change its style of play, even for the high-flying Eagles, who started five seniors.
"We were going to play our way, which is play fast and make shots," he said.
And that they did. Senior Miller Hutchison started a game-opening 12-2 surge with a 3. Urdarovski sank two free throws. Dylan Daube came up with a steal and hit Wes Stone with a long pass for a layup. Urdarovski connected on a 3 from the left corner. Daube scored on a drive.
Patriot Prep started to find its footing. However, the Green Wave went on a 14-4 tear to lead 28-14 with 4:49 left in the half. Urdarovski not only hit two more 3s but sank three free throws after being fouled beyond the arc. NC got the Eagles in foul trouble and were in the bonus but hit just five of 10 from the stripe.
The Green Wave still led 32-24 at the break when Daube made two late foul shots, but Patriot Preps's switch to a trapping 2-3 zone defense, utilizing its length and quickness, started to take its toll. The Eagles forced 15 second-half turnovers while also dropping in 10 consecutive free throws.
NC hung tough despite making just four second-half field goals and went to the fourth quarter tied 37-37. It was still deadlocked 39-39 with 6:55 left when the Eagles finally took flight, feasting on Green Wave turnovers and going on a game-clinching 16-2 run. It was halted momentarily when Daube found Jaxon Holman for a fast-break layup with 4:12 to play, keeping it a 45-41 game, but senior guard Antonio Rogers scored 8 straight fast-break points.
"The second half, they cranked up their pressure, and it sped us up too much," Cox said. "We handled it pretty well in the first half, but then they amped it up. You can't simulate that in practice. They're a good team."
Daube scored 9 of his 15 points in the second half and had four assists for NC. The Green Wave were just four of 20 from the field in the second half and 13 of 40 on the night for 32%. They finished with 18 turnovers and were 14 of 21 at the line for 67%. Hutchison grabbed six rebounds.
Another senior guard, DeShawn Crawford, led Patriot Prep with 14 points and Rogers added 13 to go with three steals. All-Ohio candidate Cameron Thomas, a burly 6-5 senior, was held to 7 points but picked off 10 rebounds, most on the offensive end, and had three assists. The Eagles had only 10 turnovers and held a 27-25 rebounding edge, hitting 20 of 49 from the floor for 41% and 16 of 26 free throws for 62%.
"I was able to make it to three district championships and win one, my freshman year," Urdarovski said. "I love Jamie, and I love these guys. They will be back here next year."
Cox predicted that Urdarovski will become a future coach. He closed the season on an absolute tear over the final four games.
"He was with us four years, and he's our guy," Cox said. "We've had a lot of life talks, not even about basketball. He's one of my favorites over the last 20 years. Miller came back out this year, and he called this his favorite season of all time, even though this is obviously his third sport. That meant a lot to me."
Everyone else returns for NC next year along with talent from the eighth-grade team that just won the Licking County League. The Green Wave's record could have been much better, given they had three overtime losses and three more by two points, but the foundation has been set.
"We knew coming in that we would be young, but I think we've the changed the culture of Newark Catholic basketball," Cox said. "I couldn't be more proud. The future looks very, very bright, and we're talking for the next eight to 10 years. We'll be cutting down some nets."
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