Thomas Cochran pulls off a backward lay in during a physical, fast, and furious 4th quarter. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Brian Bayless)
Backed by a hot start and steady defensive effort, the DeSales boys team held off the Shamrocks and flashed the necessary skills to make a long run in Division III.
Dublin, OH – Armed with three senior starters and a renewed focus after enduring what it considered a disappointing season a year ago, the DeSales boys basketball team has its eye on making an extended Division III postseason run following the OHSAA’s expansion to seven divisions.
The Stallions certainly showed that they’ve added the necessary grit to make that goal attainable when they played Friday at Dublin Coffman, which also has looked like a much-improved team this winter.
Propelled by a hot first quarter and with a defense that made just enough stops down the stretch, DeSales won a non-league battle against the Shamrocks 56-54 to improve to 6-2.
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Coffman, which like the Stallions finished 13-11 a year ago, dropped to 7-3 overall.
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“Last year, we really underachieved,” said eighth-year Stallions coach Pat Murphy, whose program was the Division II state runner-up in 2021 but endured early postseason exits the last two seasons in Division I. “We started off 1-4 and had a really disappointing start, but then we ran off six in a row. … We have a lot of those same guys.
“We started off 5-0 (this season) and then we lost a really tough game to (Upper Arlington) that we led for 28 minutes and didn’t finish. Tonight we were in another one, and we made the plays we had to, got some stops and made some buckets. (Coffman’s) a good team, and we knew it was going to come down to who makes one more basket, and we made one more.”
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Coffman has one of central Ohio’s top talents in senior Colin McClure, a 6-foot guard who is committed to Thomas More.
Despite being held to 5 of 16 on the night, Colin McClure still managed to contribute 21 points for the Rocks.
He opened the game with a 3-pointer but didn’t score again in the opening quarter, and DeSales built an 18-8 lead that included a step-back 3-pointer from PJ Noles with two seconds left in the period.
Noles, who went on to finish with 23 points and seven rebounds, is a 6-4 senior who has been offered by Concord and moved to No. 6 on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,076 career points.
“We started off 5-0 and then we dropped two and thought we should have won both, so we were disappointed after last weekend, but we were ready to go tonight,” Noles said. “It’s been fun. The best part is winning with our guys. I feel like it’s been a while since we’ve continuously won like this. “(Our defense) was a team effort. We switch a lot and trap a lot. We’ve been active in the passing lanes, pressuring the ball, and it’s helped our transition offense get into space.”
Coffman gradually chipped away at DeSales’ lead, cutting it to 28-21 by halftime and 43-37 at the end of three quarters.
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With 2:55 remaining, McClure was fouled behind the 3-point line and hit all three free throws to tie it at 50.
McClure went on to finish with 21 points.
The Stallion defense ran wild, applying heavy pressure when the Rocks attempted to put together a scoring run.
“The slow start took us out of pretty much everything we wanted to do defensively and offensively, and DeSales is very well coached,” second-year Coffman coach Adam Banks said. “They’re a good team, and in central Ohio, if you get down against a good team, it’s tough to dig yourself out of that hole. I feel like we were rushing (our shots early on) and kind of played into their trap. A lot of teams try to speed us up, get us to take quick ones, and I think we fell into that trap tonight.
“(McClure) has been seeing a lot of coverages, and it’s well-warranted. We’re just a work in progress.”
DeSales took a 55-51 lead on a 3-pointer from junior guard Chase Cromwell with 2 minutes remaining, but Coffman junior Gabe Schmidt responded with a 3-pointer with 51 seconds to go to cut it to 55-54.
After Cromwell was fouled with 14.4 seconds to go and made one of two free throws for a 56-54 lead, Coffman attempted to set up a play for McClure.
With Noles guarding McClure tightly, Coffman’s Luke Muhlenkamp missed a 3-pointer in the corner that was rebounded by McClure, but he didn’t get his putback attempt off before the buzzer sounded.
“McClure is so good, and we have so much respect for him,” Murphy said. “He’s going to be a great college player, and we said let’s not let him beat us. He still made some tough shots. Especially at the very end, we were just like, ‘He cannot beat us. We cannot let him take the last shot.’ I was really proud of us finding a way at the end.”
Carter Ward takes a shot from just outside of the lane over Rocks’ defender Thomas Cochran.
Senior guard Carter Ward scored seven of his 13 points in the third quarter and junior center Frankie McAllister added seven points and six rebounds for the Stallions, who are in the midst of playing five games in eight days.
“It’s just been the work we put in over the summer and fall,” Ward said. “Our summer workouts were super tough, running all the time, trying to get in good shape and meshing with the seniors and the younger guys. I think it was a team effort.”
DeSales limited McClure to 5-for-16 shooting. Schmidt added 16 points for the Shamrocks, who have lost two of three after a 6-1 start.
“We were trying to get it to Colin and let him do his thing, but they did a really good job of sending two guys at him,” Banks said. “Sometimes the shots don’t go down. I think we’re definitely on the right track. The track is definitely bumpy and there’s going to be obstacles and setbacks.”
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