The WCA and Holy Cross boys basketball teams engaged in a hotly-contested Naugatuck Valley League game on Friday night inside the tight confines of the WCA gymnasium.
When it was over, and it took quite a bit to get there, the Spartans had dealt the Crusaders their first NVL loss, 72-67. WCA improved to 9-1 in the NVL and 11-3 overall. Holy Cross fell to 10-1 in the NVL and 12-3 overall.
Jeremiah Williams led the Spartans with 22 points. Anthony Rodriguez (15 points) and Maekhi Weaver (14) joined him in double figures, while Alex Turner (9) and Kewan Petteway (8) further added to the WCA offensive balance. Petteway, Zyair Moreno and Dylan Rossi all fouled out for the Spartans.
Elijah Parker had a game-high 27 points to lead the Crusaders, but struggled mightily at the foul line. A’zye Harge (12 points) and Al Davis (11) also scored in double figures. Daylen Roscoe put up nine points for Holy Cross, which cut a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to two points, 69-67, with just under 20 seconds left. The Crusaders were hurt badly by their foul shooting (13 for 30).
After a low-scoring three quarters (WCA led, 51-39), the teams combined for 49 points in a wild, sloppy and testy fourth quarter. Both head coaches, WCA’s Ronan O’Leary and Holy Cross’ Mike Wilson, wound up being angry at foul calls or lack thereof in the final eight minutes. At one point, Parker and Petteway stared each other down after a jump ball tie-up.
The Crusaders began to slowly claw their way back into the game after trailing by 13 points. A Roscoe drive, and Gunthrop’s four points for the game – two free throws and a mid-range jumper – got Holy Cross to within three points, 63-60. Petteway committed his fourth foul to send Gunthrop to the line, and O’Leary was none too pleased, to say the least, after what he thought was a foul on the Crusaders on the Spartan offensive end.
Rodriguez hit a floater inside, then Parker made one of two free throws with 1:43 to play to make the score 65-61. Rodriguez made his first free throw with 1:28 to go, then the ball went out of bounds off the Crusaders when his second free throw was off.
Holy Cross appeared doomed when Rodriguez got behind the full-court pressure, but Davis, just a sophomore, came out of nowhere for a spectacular block off the glass. WCA recovered the ball in the corner by its bench and called timeout with 42.3 seconds to play, the score still 66-61. On the ensuing possession, Williams drove baseline away from his bench sideline and fired a pass to Rodriguez in the corner. His 3-pointer gave the Spartans a 69-61 lead.
The Crusaders were far from done, scoring the next six points – four from Harge, two from Parker – to get to within 69-67.
Williams, who came off the bench for WCA, sank two free throws with 15.9 seconds left for a 71-67 lead. Parker quickly pushed the ball all the way to the opposing basket and appeared to get knocked down on his shot attempt. Wilson was upset by the lack of a call and was held back by assistant coach Randy Brooks. Weaver was fouled and made one of two free throws with nine seconds left to play, then Parker drove to the three-point arc, where he drew a two-shot foul (his foot was on the line) on Petteway, the fifth for the WCA senior. Parker missed both free throws, and two different Holy Cross plays hit the deck on desperate shot attempts before the clock ran out.
Waterbury police officers got between the teams when things got a little heated as they exited the court. Both teams have to go down the same hallway to reach their respective locker rooms.
For those who want to know, these two teams meet again on Feb. 18 in the Timothy J. McDonald Gymnasium at 7 p.m. They could also see each other again in the NVL tournament.
Screenshot: Holy Cross-WCA boys game broadcast on Waterbury Public Schools’ YouTube channel.
