Back-to-back: South Bend Saint Joseph boys basketball repeats as IHSAA 3A semi-state champs
LOGANSPORT ― South Bend Saint Joseph played perfect offensive basketball Saturday.
They are IHSAA Class 3A semi-state champions again because of it.
After scoring a semi-state record 115 points in the semifinal game against Maconaquah in the morning, the Huskies won the title game, 84-72, over East Chicago Central at night to advance to the IHSAA Class 3A state championship game next weekend.
The Huskies (26-3) will play Indianapolis Crispus Attucks (22-6) for the championship next Saturday, March 29, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Attucks beat New Palestine, 67-49, in the South semi-state final.
“It’s awesome,” fourth-year Saint Joseph coach Eric Gaff said. “Maybe tomorrow, I’ll have some better words. But right now, it’s just an awesome feeling.”
Saint Joseph survives late East Chicago Central surge
The game felt over when Saint Joseph held a 76-59 lead with 3:45 left in regulation. East Chicago (21-9) had one last rally in it, though, whittling the deficit down to eight, 78-70, with 1:37 remaining. It was the first time the margin was single digits since midway through the second quarter.
With the game hanging in the balance, the Huskies delivered. After a defensive stop, Saint Joseph moved the ball up the court quickly. Senior Brashaun Woods ended up with it, giving a pump fake under the rim before making a shot while drawing a foul. He’d miss the free throw, but Saint Joe had successfully held off the Cardinals' last gasp.
“That’s just amazing; it was a great feeling,” Woods said. “The crowd went crazy.”
Woods had a fantastic day. After finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds in the semifinal, he had 19 points in the title game.
“He loves the limelight,” said Gaff of Woods. “He was awesome. We told him he has to be special for us to make a run, and he’s been special the whole month of March.”
The Huskies had an 18-point halftime lead get as few as 10 in the third quarter. Junior Ethan Roseman was the catalyst for change that frame for Saint Joseph, scoring eight of his 10 points during a three-minute stretch to help the Huskies keep ECC at bay.
“I definitely felt like I had to be more aggressive,” said Roseman of his third-quarter play. “I was a little quiet in the first half, and I just had to take what the defense was giving me.”
Added Gaff, “One of our keys for today was toughness. That’s a great team over there with East Chicago. We said they were going to make runs – who was going to be tougher? Who was going to respond? Who’s going to be there? And, our guys responded to the call every single time.”
Historic day for Saint Joseph boys basketball
Saturday was one of the best two-games-in-one-day performances you’ll see from a high school basketball team.
In the semifinal against Maconaquah, the Huskies poured in 115 points. They shot 62% from the field, making 14 shots from beyond the arc. They only committed nine turnovers as well.
The championship game saw them shoot 57%, including 11-for-22 from 3-point range. While they had five more turnovers in the second game, they also forced 22 East Chicago miscues.
Two-game totals included 48 points and 11 rebounds for sophomore Elijah King, 37 points and 15 rebounds for Woods, 35 points and 20 rebounds for senior Chase Konieczny, 33 points for junior Nick Shrewsberry, 17 points and 21 assists for Roseman and 14 points for junior Braylen White.
“We got scorers all around,” King said. “We’re just killers. Shrewsberry, Chase, Ethan, all the way down. We’re all killers.”
A second-straight semi-state title means Saint Joseph will move up to Class 4A next year. A chance to redeem itself next week awaits after a 67-57 loss to Scottsburg in last year’s 3A finale.
“We’ve worked so hard, man,” Woods said. “We’ve got a great team. We always stay together. It’s amazing, man. It’s great.”
Follow Austin Hough on X (formerly Twitter) @AustinRHough and on Facebook at "Austin Hough - South Bend Tribune." Hough can be emailed at ahough@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Saint Joseph boys basketball scores combined 199 points in semi-state
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