Archbishop Neale wins down the stretch

Boys team wins SYBL tip-off tournament title, St. John's claims girls crown

Friday, Nov. 20, 2009

The Sunday Youth Basketball League is only into its second weekend of the 2009-2010 campaign, but it's already had its share for the dramatic.

Archbishop Neale School scored five unanswered points in the final minute of regulation to rally back and defeat St. Mary's Bryantown School, 36-32, on Sunday afternoon in the league's tip-off tournament boys championship game at St. Mary's Ryken High School.

Archbishop Neale took a 23-20 lead into the fourth quarter, but Will Cusic and Trevor Burch complimented Donte Etheridge to put St. Mary's Bryantown ahead 32-31 with one minute to play.

Tyler Fields came back down the court for Archbishop Neale and hit a basket to put it up 33-32 with 40 seconds to go.

St. Mary's Bryantown was forced to foul after missing a potential go-ahead basket and Austin Walter hit one of two free throws to push Archbishop Neale's lead with 34-32.

St. Mary's Bryantown had a chance to tie, but the shot rolled off the rim with just 13 seconds remaining. Archbishop Neale hit two more free throws and held on for the win and the tournament title.

Archbishop Neale led 8-3 after one quarter, but St. Mary's Bryantown rallied back and led 15-14 at halftime.

Fields led Archbishop Neale (3-0 overall) with 18 points. He was named the tournament's most valuable player after scoring 49 points in three games along with 16 steals.

Etheridge led St. Mary's Bryantown (2-1) with 16 points, while Chris Heinze had nine. Etheridge received the coaches hustle award, scoring 67 points in three games during the tournament.

St. Mary's Bryantown needed every second against Mother Catherine Spalding School to reach the final game, holding on for a 34-31 victory on Saturday in the semifinals at St. Mary's Ryken.

St. Mary's Bryantown had Etheridge's hot hand to lean on. He had 30 of his team's 34 points, which included four three-pointers and 10 of 15 shooting from the free-throw line.

The teams, which traded the lead 12 times in the contest with neither squad leading by more than four points, were tied at 13 at halftime and St. Mary's Bryantown took a 23-21 lead to the fourth quarter.

Blake Buckler drained a three-pointer with less than a minute to play in the game to bring Mother Catherine to within 30-29.

Two Etheridge free throws were answered by a basket from John Fitzgerald and the St. Mary's Bryantown lead was 32-31 with 20.7 seconds to play.

Etheridge was fouled again and hit two more free throws to finish the game.

Fitzgerald led Mother Catherine (1-1) with eight points, while John Wood had seven.

Archbishop Neale reached the final game with a 32-24 victory over Cardinal Hickey Academy in the semifinals on Saturday at St. Mary's Ryken.

Fields scored seven points in the opening quarter to help Archbishop Neale enter the second period with a 9-8 lead.

Chase Travers scored all 11 of his team's in the second quarter, helping Archbishop Neale extend its advantage to 20-13 at halftime.

Archbishop Neale led 22-16 entering the fourth where Fields scored seven more points to put the game away.

Fields led Archbishop Neale with 14 points, while Travers had 11 and Mac Burke added seven.

Matt Parker led Cardinal Hickey (1-1) with seven points.

St. John's girls

pull off win

St. John's School put away Archbishop Neale in the fourth quarter en route to the girls tournament title and a 21-13 victory on Sunday at St. Mary's Ryken.

Archbishop Neale led 7-3 after one quarter. Five of its points came from Madie Aughinbaugh.

St. John's rallied back to take a 9-8 halftime lead. It held Archbishop Neale to just five points over a nine-minute stretch in the first half.

It was a one-point game, 13-12, heading to the fourth. Aughinbaugh drained a free throw to tie the game at 13, but St. John's scored the final eight points to pull off the win.

LeAnne Hudson hit some key shots down the stretch and led St. John's (4-0) with nine points. Teammate Maddie Bennett was named the tournament's most valuable player. Aughinbaugh led Archbishop Neale (1-1) with six points and received the coaches hustle award.

The two teams will meet again this weekend at St. John's as the league begins its regular season.

St. John's reached the finals with a 27-14 victory over St. Michael's School in the semifinals on Saturday at St. Mary's Ryken.

St. Michael's scored the first eight points of the game and led 10-7 at halftime. Marianne Luffey had six first-quarter points including a three-pointer.

St. John's turned it on in the second half. It outscored St. Michael's 12-2 in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

Hudson led St. John's with eight points, while Jodie Buddenbohn had six.

Luffey led St. Michael's (1-1) with nine points.

Archbishop Neale advanced to the championship game with a 35-22 win over Our Lady Star of the Sea School in the semifinals on Saturday at St. Mary's Ryken.

Emily Estep scored six points in the opening quarter to help Archbishop Neale to a 10-4 lead. It was 16-9 Archbishop Neale at halftime.

Estep, Mary Dixon and Sammy Espejo each had eight points to lead Archbishop Neale, while Aughinbaugh had seven. Maggie Conner led Our Lady (1-1) with eight points, while Lindsay Cimini and Katie O'Hare each had seven.

pwatson@somdnews.com

Schedule

All are quadrupleheaders unless noted.

The time notes the beginning of the first game.

Archbishop Neale at St. John's, noon

Little Flower vs. St. Mary's Bryantown at St. Mary's Ryken, 12:15 p.m.

Our Lady at Mother Catherine, 12:15 p.m.

Cardinal Hickey at Father Andrew White, 1 p.m. (JV girls, varsity boys only)

St. Peter's at Father Andrew White, 3:15 p.m. (varsity girls, JV boys only)