Scott stuns Irish as Darrington leads Bulldogs in 3-OT thriller, 66-60

1/5/2014
BY DONALD EMMONS
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
  • 05s1darrington

    Scott’s Chris Darrington drives against Central Catholic’s Jermiah Braswell in Saturday night’s game. The Bulldogs won in three overtimes, improving to 4-4. The Irish fell to 8-1.

    THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON
    Buy This Image

  • Scott’s Chris Darrington drives against Central Catholic’s Jermiah Braswell  in Saturday night’s game. The Bulldogs won in three overtimes, improving to 4-4. The Irish fell to 8-1.
    Scott’s Chris Darrington drives against Central Catholic’s Jermiah Braswell in Saturday night’s game. The Bulldogs won in three overtimes, improving to 4-4. The Irish fell to 8-1.

    Central Catholic and Scott engaged in a triple-overtime thriller Saturday night at the Sullivan Center.

    In the end, the visiting Bulldogs outlasted the Irish for a 66-60 victory before an enthusiastic crowd.

    Chris Darrington scored four of his game-high 24 points during the third overtime to help the Bulldogs (4-4) hand the Irish (8-1) their first defeat.

    “I felt like I had to take charge and be a leader with Chris [Harris] not out there,” Darrington said, referring to his injured teammate who was unable to play.

    PHOTO GALLERY: Click here for more photos from the game

    Larry Green added 10 points while Chance Hawkins, Lahtif Easter, and Jay Wells finished with eight points apiece for Scott.

    “It was guts and heart,” Scott coach Chris Dames said. “I think they just played their butts off.”

    Thomas Vetter paced the Irish with a team-high 19 points, while Marcus Winters added 16, including four 3-pointers. DeShone Kizer finished with nine points on three 3-pointers.

    Scott’s Larry Green, left, gets a hug from teammate Percy Bogan after Bogan hit a game-tying shot during the second overtime at Central Catholic.
    Scott’s Larry Green, left, gets a hug from teammate Percy Bogan after Bogan hit a game-tying shot during the second overtime at Central Catholic.

    Both teams had chances to win.

    However, the Bulldogs, who have played only one home game this season, showed a little more resiliency by the time the teams had reached the third four-minute extra period.

    Dames credited Darrington, a 6-foot junior, for providing a sense of steadiness throughout the contest.

    “He was a leader tonight,” Dames said of Darrington. “He was active and talking on the floor, and if he’s getting to the basket there’s no one better.”

    Neither team scored during the first overtime after Central held the ball for the final three minutes of the extra period to take one last shot. Scott sat back in a zone and was also content with the Irish taking time off the clock.

    Central got the shot it wanted — a baseline jumper from 3-point territory by Winters — but the shot rattled out of the rim. A last-second heave by Darrington from behind the halfcourt line banked off the glass and bounced off the rim as time expired.

    Both teams found ways to score in the second overtime, which finished tied at 56.

    Scott opened the third overtime with a 6-1 run and held the lead the rest of the way.

    Playing without Harris, a 6-foot senior point guard, didn’t stop the Bulldogs from their up-tempo approach.

    With sophomore Larry Green playing in Harris’ starting spot, Scott was able to jump out to an 8-2 lead in the first quarter. The Bulldogs closed out the period holding on to a 11-8 lead.

    Scott maintained the lead through the second quarter and took a 25-22 lead into halftime.

    Darrington carried the Bulldogs in the first half, scoring 10 points before the break, including eight during the second quarter.

    The Irish trailed by as much as six points in the first half. Winters provided a lift by scoring nine points in the second quarter, knocking down three 3-pointers. Vetter kept the Irish close early by scoring six of his seven points in the first half during the opening period.

    Contact Donald Emmons at: demmons@theblade.com, 419-724-6302 or on Twitter @DemmonsBlade.