City of Basketball Love

Anthony Dabbundo (@AnthonyDabbundo)
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COATESVILLE, Pa. -- Trailing by six after the third quarter, Simon Gratz looked liked its dream run through the state playoffs was going to come to an end. The Bulldogs committed six turnovers in the third quarter alone, and had allowed J.P. McCaskey to recapture all of the momentum entering the final quarter of the PIAA second-round affair.

The ensuing four minutes kept the Bulldogs’ state run alive.

Simon Gratz opened the game’s final quarter with eight straight points, forcing three turnovers and getting key buckets from guard Jamal Goode, forward Nasir Campbell, and guard Tyriq Meredith.

“This wasn't the first time we have been in that predicament,” Bulldogs head coach Lynard Stewart said.

“We started to fall apart in the third quarter but we came together as a team to get it done,” Meredith continued.

By the time Johnny Eden nailed a three pointer with 3:09 left on the clock to put his team up eight, Simon Gratz had all but earned itself a spot in the PIAA state quarterfinals, closing out McCaskey for a 64-56 win.

For the opening four minutes of the final frame, the Bulldogs played their best basketball of the evening, opening up a 15-5 run after finally capitalizing on some of the opportunities they generated.

Goode, who had been held scoreless for the entire evening, came through with a critical seven fourth-quarter points. Meredith (game-high 19 points) and Campbell combined for 14 in the final period.

“When we get in that funk like we did in the third quarter, we don’t get worried because we know we can get ourselves out of it,” Stewart said. “It feels like we’ve been playing from behind every game.”

For Gratz, who hadn’t been in the state tournament since 2009, this state run has come against the odds. The Bulldogs made a big run the Public League playoffs, losing by just one point in the league AAAA championship, before eventually defeating Archbishop Ryan in a play-back win to advance to states.

Then, Saturday, Gratz pulled yet another upset, defeating perennial state powerhouse Lower Merion in an overtime thriller, 63-61.

So when the Bulldogs trailed entering the fourth quarter, they were prepared to make another comeback victory.

When Gratz made its run, the Red Tornado were left searching for answers, as Simon Gratz’s physical defense began to force more and more turnovers and missed shots as the fourth quarter progressed. Outside of 23 points from star guard Kobe Gantz, McCaskey was shut down for most of the final quarter, in large part due to the Gratz defense forcing the Tornado to settle for outside jumpers.

Gantz scored all but four of McCaskey’s 16 fourth-quarter points.

“We talked all week about how talented he was and how he was going to look to score,” Stewart said. “We knew he would get his so we focused on shutting down everyone else.”

And at the offensive end, Gratz quickly piled up the points, cutting down on the easy misses and turnovers that had plagued them for most of the game.

“Coach told us we were beating ourselves, and in order to win we had to do the little things better, like free throws, getting back on defense and making the easy ones,” Meredith said.

Whether it was the driving ability from Meredith or Campbell’s inside paint presence, the Bulldogs proved to be too much for McCaskey, outscoring them 30-16 in the final stanza.

Eden’s long range three with 3:09 left was the dagger that took the life out of the pro-McCaskey Coatesville gym.

“He wants to be the one who puts you away,” Stewart added of his junior guard. “His family actually has a history of boxing, and he comes out and hits you early, takes a little break in round 2, but looks for the knockout to finish you off at the end.”

In a game that was back and forth for most of the evening, with neither team leading by more than five points until right before the end of the third quarter, it was the free throws that cost McCaskey dearly.

The Tornado shot 3-for-11 from the line in the first half, while their district 12 counterparts were 6-of-9 in the final minutes to close it out.

“We knew we weren’t playing our best, yet we were always in it to turn it around once we started playing our game,” Meredith said.

With District 1 champion Plymouth Whitemarsh looming in the state quarterfinals, Simon Gratz will need a truly complete performance to upset the Colonials.

For now, Simon Gratz continues to be the story of the AAAA championship.

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Wednesday's Results

Class AA -- Second Round
Conwell-Egan 54, Minersville 51
Camp Hill 45, Wilkes-Barre Meyers 40
Mastery Charter North 85, Danville 52
Trinity 67, Parkway Center City 48
Aliquippa 56, Bishop Canevin 38
West Middlesex 55, Penns Valley 52
Lincoln Park 76, Washington 73
Quaker Valley 57, Greensburg Central Catholic 47

Class AAAA -- Second Round
Plymouth-Whitemarsh 58, Bangor 44
Simon Gratz 64, J.P. McCaskey 56
Parkland 54, Ridley 50
Roman Catholic 60, Central Bucks West 41
Reading 71, Emmaus 54
Chester 74, Spring-Ford 49
Carlisle 74, North Hills 69
Taylor Allderdice 75, Pine-Richland 60