Though the Cubs won their last matchup against the Chaminade Eagles, they played poorly throughout the match and were bailed out by some stellar third quarter three-point shooting from Senior CJ Jones. Tonight, they tipped off against Crespi Carmelite who have an overall record of 21-3 and a league-leading 3-0 Mission League record prior to the game. The Celts are fresh off of a tight victory over Alemany 66-65.  

Quarter 1

The starters for the Cubs were the usual suspects: Mason Butler, CJ Jones, Neil Owens, Anthony Lucenti, and James Keefe. The Cubs took the opening tip and proceeded to turn the ball over immediately. The Celts take advantage immediately as they find a man inside to go up by two. After another poor offensive possession by the Cubs, the Celts found the corner shooter to extend their lead to five. More turnovers from the Cubs meant more points for the Celts as another steal leads to more points inside. The Celts get an and-one layup that makes the opening score 7-0. The Cubs finally get on the board when Mason gets the corner three to fall. They follow the possession up with a steal but fail to convert a layup attempt. Both teams look nervous as they turn the ball over and miss easy shots but the Cubs come out of it first. CJ comes up with a block inside that leads to a Keefe layup for an 8-7 lead, the first Cub lead of the game. The 8-0 run by the Cubs prompts a Celt timeout, but the Cubs come out of the timeout well with a layup from Keefe. The go-to man for the Celts hits a stepback jumper but Lucenti responds right away with a layup to maintain the lead. The Cubs continue their run by getting Neil to the line for a pair of free throws that he converts. So far, the key to the Cubs comeback has been stout defense, forcing the Celts into tough shots. The Cubs show they can do it on both ends, though, as CJ knocks down another triple, making the Cub lead 17-9. A half court heave from the Celts finds its way off the glass and into the hoop, putting the Celts down by only 5 to end the first.

Score 17-12

Quarter 2

The Cubs open the second with Jared Cox, Jack Kresich, Mason Butler, CJ Jones, and Colby Brooks. The Celts are the first to find the mark this quarter as their forward finds his way to the rim for a contested layup. The Celts switch into a zone and the Cubs are clearly thrown off as they turn the ball over off the confusion. The Celts travel and turn the ball over themselves, allowing Mason to hit a deep three to put the Cubs back up by six. Keefe and Neil come back into the game right as the Celts switch into a full court press into a man defense. The Cubs fail to read the defense once more and throw up a bad shot subsequently. On the other end, they foul and hit two free throws followed by a transition layup to cut the lead to two. Neil responds immediately, though, as he drains a triple in transition to retort. Some poor defensive rebounding means that the Celts get second chance points and a mere three-point deficit. The Cubs work the ball nicely on their possession but airball the look they earn themselves. The Celts aren’t much better as they brick a three, leading to a possession where Keefe gets sent to the line. Keefe misses both shots from the line and the Celts have a chance to erase the lead, something they accomplish from a wing three. The poor decision making on the offensive end have allowed the Celts to tie up the game at 23. Coach Adams has seen enough as he uses his first timeout of the game. Smart positioning from the Celts means that the possession immediately following the timeout results in a charging foul. A botched rotation by the Cubs means that they are forced into a foul, where the Celt center hits one of two. The Celts take the lead off the free throw, but Colby muscles in an and-one layup to put the Cubs up by a pair right away. The Cubs rediscover their defensive identity but miss a pair of shots on their hoop to leave the lead at just two with 32 seconds remaining in the half. The Cubs hold for the last shot which Mason unfortunately shoots just short of the mark.

Score 26-24

Defensively, the Cubs have played a great game, but their offensive efficiency has been somewhat inconsistent as they have gone on runs of up to 8-0 while going several minutes without a bucket. The key to the game thus far is making sure that the Cubs are able to adjust to the numerous looks, zone, man, and full court press, that the Celts have given them on defense.

Quarter 3

The Cubs open the quarter with the same lineup that started the game, inbounding the ball for Mason who assists an and-one shot for Keefe. The Cubs pick up the Celts full court to great effect but fail to close out after some ball movement, giving the Celts a three pointer. Lucenti finds himself open from three-point land and converts, but the Celts get free throws followed by a three to tie up the ball game. The Cubs compound their bad run by throwing the ball away off a cut to the hoop. The Celts hit another three, this time from deep, to give themselves their first lead of the half, 35-32. Another missed shot by the Cubs means another play where the Celts knock down a three. The Cubs are seemingly unable to fight through the constant screens sent by the Celts for their shooters. The three-point frenzy puts the Celts up by 6. Coach Adams uses a timeout to address the problems and is rewarded with a three pointer from Neil. The Cubs are the beneficiaries of an illegal screen, providing a possession where Keefe returns to the line. Unfortunately, Keefe only notches one of two, cutting the Celt lead to two. The Celts use a screen to give their hot hand another look, one he takes advantage of for another triple. The Cubs brick a three on their end, but Colby’s strong defense makes sure the Cubs get the ball back without harm. The Cubs fail to convert on their end and allow the Celt guard to go baseline to baseline for a layup. The Celts go up by seven with a minute left in the third. They come up with a stop but miss and allow the Celts a deep three that, luckily, they miss.

Score 36-43

Quarter 4

The Cubs attempt to mount the comeback with Keefe, Lucenti, Mason, Jared, and Neil on the floor to start the fourth. Strong defense from the Cubs and physical offense sends the Cubs into the bonus and to the line. Lucenti hits both shots, making the deficit five. Another Celts turnover gives the Cubs the chance to make it a one-possession match, but they turn the ball over themselves. The Celts give up an and-one layup that puts the Celts up 8 with 6 minutes left to play. Lucenti forces another foul and, again, hits two of two. The lead is six as the Celts get the ball back. The Celts hit another contested look at the hoop but Lucenti makes a quick layup of his own to respond. The Cubs steal the ball on defense and hit a corner three on offense to make it a three-point game with 4:47 left in the fourth. The change of pace prompts a Celt timeout, an attempt to weather the Cub storm. Out of the timeout, the Celts hit another contested shot make the lead five, but Mason notches another corner triple it a two-point contest. The Cubs foul, but the Celts miss and Mason hits ANOTHER triple to give the Cubs a single point lead. The Cubs give up a layup but respond with a putback from Keefe to go right back up. Coach Adams calls a timeout with 2:23 remaining to coach up his team for the late-game situation. The Celts get the ball out of the timeout to chants of “Defense” from the traveling crowd. The Cubs get the stop but miss on their own chance. With fifty seconds left, the Cubs have the ball and Lucenti hits a fadeaway jumper to put the Cubs up by three. The Cubs ran the clock all the way down to 16 before finally giving the ball back to the Celts. The Celts call a timeout to draw up a play for the tie. Out of the timeout, the Celts fall short on the shot and are forced to foul with 4.8 left on the clock. CJ hits one of two to make the lead four with 4.5 seconds left to tie the game. The Celt coach calls a timeout in a last ditch attempt to tie the game. Out of the timeout, the Celts turn the ball over, but the Cubs throw the ball out of bounds to leave .6 seconds on the clock. The Celts use their final timeout to try to force an overtime period. The Celts airball and the Cubs leave the gym victorious.

Score 56-52