HAYWARD — Even with reigning MVAL MVP Max Anderson held out of action after playing football through Saturday, and a 22-of-41 showing at the free throw line, Moreau Catholic did just enough for a 64-58 overtime win over St. Ignatius on Tuesday evening, with four scorers in double-figures.
Leonard Turner scored 13 of his team-high 19 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and his game-high 11 rebounds finished off a double-double as the Mariners never trailed in the extra period and led by as much as nine despite shooting just 2-of-6 from the field and going 10-for-18 at the line.
“To even win a game in that scenario is amazing,” said head coach Frank Knight. “I told our guys, any time you can win a game against a team like that with all those missed free throws, let’s just not talk about it and move forward.”
After leading for the majority of the game, the Mariners found themselves in a 45-42 hole with three minutes remaining before a game-tying 3-pointer from the wing by Glenn Byrd. Neal Begovich put SI back in front before Turner tied the game with a baseline drive and scored on another baseline move with 31.5 seconds left to give Moreau Catholic (4-0) a 49-47 advantage.
The Stanford-bound Begovich tied the game with 12.3 seconds left by putting back his own miss, and when a desperation three by the Mariners missed at the buzzer, the game headed to overtime.
That’s where foul trouble proved to be fatal for St. Ignatius (1-4). Turner scored the first four points of overtime with a free throw and a 3-pointer, and Begovich fouled out with 2:13 left. Jackson Canady and Danny Ryan each fouled out as well in the final minutes, and though the Mariners only made both free throws on just one of their nine trips to the line in the extra period, it was more than enough to put the game away.
“We knew if we could extend it a little bit longer into overtime, we’d have an advantage with some of their guys in foul trouble,” said Knight. “We knew it was going to be one of those physical games, and we needed that.”
Turner scored a team-high 19 points and led all players with 11 rebounds. David Hector finished with 17 while Byrd and Amil Fields each scored 11. Byrd scored seven of his in the first quarter and hit the clutch three to tie the game in the fourth, while Hector and Fields combined for 13 of the Mariners’ 15 points in the second quarter.
For SI, it was Begovich coming up big early, with nine of his team’s 11 in the first quarter. He also scored six in the fourth to finish with 15 and pulled down eight rebounds. Wrenn Robinson scored a game-high 20 with five 3-pointers and was instrumental across the middle two periods as the Wildcats fought back from a pair of early nine-point deficits. His 3-pointer to start the second quarter tied the game at 14, and he’d connect twice more from beyond the arc before halftime after Moreau reopened a nine-point lead. Robinson’s 3-pointer in the third gave the ‘Cats a 32-31 advantage, their first lead since the opening basket of the game, and his fifth and final three tied the game at 39.
“I love the pieces that we have. We’ve got guys; we’re just learning how to put pieces together,” said St. Ignatius head coach Rob Marcaletti.
Begovich was credited with two points on a goaltending call with 4:19 left to give SI a 41-40 lead, and the lead sat at 45-42 after Sam Nangle scored his only four points of the night.
Malcolm McCray-Hill scored eight off the bench for St. Ignatius and tied Begovich for a team-high with eight rebounds. The Wildcats played without Garrett Cason, a prolific rebounder and shot blocker who missed last year with a torn ACL and was plagued by knee injuries throughout his sophomore year. Those knee issues have persisted, and though he has been cleared for light activity, his status moving forward is uncertain.
