SAN FRANCISCO – The second installment of the 2015-2016 Bruce-Mahoney rivalry came down to the wire Tuesday night at USF War Memorial Gym, as St. Ignatius outlasted Sacred Heart Cathedral 61-60.
The Wildcats' victory, combined with the SI football team's triumph against SHC in the fall, has already secured ownership of the Bruce-Mahoney trophy for one more year. The award, named after two World War II heroes from the respective schools, annually goes to the winner of two events out of these three match-ups: SI vs. SHC football, the first boys league basketball game between the schools, first league baseball game between schools.
A back-and-forth game reached its peak late in the fourth quarter. Two clutch threes from sophomore guard Nate Robinson and freshman guard Kamiri Smith gave the Fightin’ Irish a 52-51 lead with 2:52 left in the game.
One minute later, senior forward Will Emery, captain of the Wildcats, converted a and-one to put SI up 55-52. Emery scored 21 points, shot 44 percent and had some impressive dunks.
“Will’s really stepped up for us this year,” SI coach Rob Marcaletti said. “It’s clear he’s our leader. If Will goes, we go. And he’s really embraced the fact that he is a leader for us. But more importantly, he’s starting to get a toughness that he hasn’t had. And he’s started really believing in himself.”
Seconds later, senior guard David Saadatnezhadi stole the ball and made a contested layup, giving SI a 57-52 lead.
With just 41 seconds left, sophomore guard Darrion Trammell picked another Irish pocket and was fouled heading to the basket. He made both free throws and SI extended its lead to 59-54.
Trammell finished with 14 points, including 10 clutch free throws. Trammell was a force on both offense and defense, converting on some fourth quarter free throws and stealing the ball multiple times.
After another SI free throw, junior forward Alfred Hollins connected on a deep three with just 18 seconds left to bring the score to 60-57.
On the ensuing inbound play, Saadatnezhadi committed a critical turnover. Hollins got the ball back and was fouled attempting a three with only 14 seconds to play. He made the first two free throws, pulling the Irish to just a one-point deficit.
And then things got a little crazy. Hollins appeared to make the third and final free throw, tying the game at 60. Unfortunately for the Fightin’ Irish, the referees called a lane violation on Hollins, and the free throw was waived off.
With nine seconds on the clock, Robinson stole the ball and was fouled. Robinson went to the free throw line with the most important points of the game at his fingertips. He made one of two.
Soon after, a crucial blocking foul on SHC with just six seconds left sent Saadatnezhadi to the line. He hit the first one, putting the Wildcats up 61-60.
Then, as noted by SI Sports TV’s KC Murphy, SI coach Rob Marcaletti moved his players back, instead of trying to grab the rebound on the second free throw. Marcaletti learned his lesson from last year, where a similar situation led to a buzzer beating layup from Omari Brown to give the Irish a stunning victory.
Fortunately for the Cats, Marcaletti’s plan worked. Saadatnezhadi missed the second free throw, but as Hollins raced down the court, his shot was highly contested and fell short, giving SI the win and ensuring the Bruce-Mahoney trophy will stay in the Sunset District for another year.
“(The win) feels amazing,” Emery said. “Especially after how heartbreaking last year was. We just came out and we were prepared. Luckily, the team was moving the ball well. I mean, we had a few turnovers at the end, but we knew that we were going to win it just because we’ve been through this before.”
As for Sacred Heart Cathedral, the loss was stunning, disappointing, and heartbreaking. Players left the court with jerseys over their faces, as the defeat clearly was emotional for the players.
A bright note for the Fightin’ Irish came from the play of Hollins. He finished with 30 points, shot 65 percent from the field and made some emphatic dunks that electrified the Irish faithful.
SHC (5-7, 0-3) hosts Serra at 7:30 p.m. Friday. St. Ignatius (10-3, 2-1) is at Archbishop Riordan at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
