NEW HAVEN – It was the battle between two boys basketball teams looking for a trip to the Mohegan Sun Arena this weekend.
NEW HAVEN — They traded baskets, they traded runs and at the end of regulation, traded fouls that led to free throws. And when those were all taken, regulation wasn’t enough to decide which would be one of the finalists of the Division II state tournament.
In overtime, it was Waterford’s guards, J.J. Brennan and Kenny Hill, who scored all the points for the top-seeded Lancers, who defeated No. 4 Manchester 83-75 in the semifinals at the Floyd Little Athletic Center.
“I’ve played in competitive games for sure, but not against a talented team like that. Guys who can go at you and test you.” Hill said. “I got a lot of emotion right now. We came together.”
Waterford coach Bill Bassett after Lancers beat Manchester in OT. #ctbb pic.twitter.com/kUae7qGQcR
— Joe Morelli (@nhrJoeMorelli) March 13, 2019
Waterford (25-1), the No. 5 team in the GameTimeCT Top 10 poll, returns to the Sun for the third time in a year to face another team out of the CCC, No. 6 seed New Britain. The game will be either Saturday or Sunday.
CIAC BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SCOREBOARD
The Lancers won the Division III state championship last year and won the ECC Division I league tournament title last month, both held at the Mohegan Sun.
“Where does this one rank?” Well it’s No. 1 right now because it’s the last one I just played,” Waterford coach Bill Bassett said. “The stakes are huge. For these guys to play as hard as they did, and fight back down (3) with a minute to go, to take the lead and to force overtime? And then to play overtime, it’s the best game I have been a part of yet.”
The foul call that sent Waterford to line. #ctbb pic.twitter.com/Qw60RJo9O5
— Joe Morelli (@nhrJoeMorelli) March 13, 2019
Manchester (21-6) led almost the entire fourth quarter, but never by more than four points. Payton Sutman from Waterford and Manchester’s Logan Tomlinson traded 3-point shots. Then a free throw by Sutman and a huge three by Brennan gave Waterford its only lead of the quarter, 67-66, with under a minute left.
Manchester’s Dashon King was fouled on a three-point attempt with 3.5 seconds left. King made two of the three to put the Indians up 68-67.
Then came the play that will keep the Indians up nights for quite some time. Rondell Tyson fouled Hill in the backcourt with 0.7 seconds left in regulation. Boos cascaded down from the Manchester rooting section.
“He kind of reached around and caught me, also a little bit of body. I kind of sold it, I won’t lie to you,” Hill said. “I honestly didn’t think I would get the call. In a close game. I didn’t think they were going to call something like that.”
Of course I have video on Logan Tomlinsons 3 for Manchester. #ctbb #tweetyourbuzzerbeaters pic.twitter.com/8tFD1mFhil
— Joe Morelli (@nhrJoeMorelli) March 13, 2019
Said Manchester coach John Reiser: “I don’t think you decide a game on that. I didn’t want my guy that tight. We were just trying to keep him in front. I think (Hill) created that contact himself. To decide a game on that call, that was rough.”
Hill made the first free throw, missed the second and to overtime the game went, tied at 68.
“When he made that first (free throw), I was like let’s go,” Brennan said. “When he missed and got back to the huddle, ‘We are not losing this game.’ We got it.’”
Waterford never trailed in the extra session. Brennan (game-high 28 points) scored the first four points and Hill (14) the next seven to secure the return trip to Uncasville.
“We played really good defense, got a lot of good stops, got fouled and made our free throws,” Brennan said.
Said Bassett: “It was, ‘Boys, we are going to make our free throws in the overtime. That’s how we are going to end this.’”
Logan Tomlinson led Manchester with 18 points, including a 3-pointer just before the third quarter sounded to give the Indians a 54-53 lead. Manchester ramped up its full-court pressure defense in the third quarter, forcing nine turnovers.
“We defend well, knew that would be a factor and hoped we would wear them down some,” Reiser said. “I think that (the late foul call) took a lot of our energy away. … I think we were tentative right from the beginning (of overtime). We lost a little something right there. We didn’t have the same energy and aggressiveness we had.”
Manchester also fought back twice from 10-point deficits to get back into the game and turn it into a memorable showdown.
“The difference between Manchester and any other team we played is they are quicker, longer and tipping more passes,” Bassett. “They read their trap unbelievable. They did an exceptional job with their pressure. They didn’t let us get things set up.”
Said Reiser: “Right now, it’s too raw. We thought we definitely had the team and that it wouldn’t end here. This is a tough one for us to swallow.”
