By BRIAN KAPUR
WASHINGTON, DC - With 0.6 of a second remaining on the clock, DeMatha coach Mike Jones laid out a clear plan for the Stags to preserve their two-point lead — protect the rim and don’t foul.
The Cadets had senior guard Anthony Cowan throw the in-bounds pass in and he looked for senior guard Dejuan Clayton, but DeMatha's Kellon Taylor was in his face to contest the shot. The ball flirted with the rim, but ultimately clanged off the iron to allow the Stags to escape with a 59-57 win to remain perfect in Washington Catholic Athletic Conference play.
“We prepared for moments like that with the schedule we’ve played and how hard we practice,” said Jones. “It’s a credit to our team. We’ve been in tough situations already this year.”
The Stags’ leading scorers were Ryan Allen (16 points), Markelle Fultz (12) and Nate Darling (8). SJC's Cowan led all scorers with 26 points, and his output was too much for Jones’ liking.
“I was a little disappointed in that,” Jones said. “We played him straight and we didn't want to let him get to the free throw line. The goal was to keep him off the line. Hit hit a lot of threes tonight, but you can't take everything away from him.”
It was a game befitting two of the top teams in the area. There was a line to enter the gym an hour and a half before tipoff and the game was sold out before halftime of the junior varsity game.
St. John’s continually started each half with scoring runs. The Cadets led 8-0 to open the game and had a 9-2 burst to begin the latter half, but both times, the Stags responded as Fultz made key plays to bring the Stags roaring back.
“He’s everything we want,” said Jones. “He steadies us when we need it, he puts his foot on the gas when we need it, he gets a defensive stop when we need it, he makes the extra pass that we need. As talented as he is, he isn't selfish.”
In the final minute, Allen hit a shot clock-beating 3-pointer to give DeMatha a 57-53 lead. But Cowan quickly answered with a trey of his own to keep the score at 57-56. The Stags were able to tack on two Darling free throws to provide the final margin.
The Stags now sit atop the WCAC as the league’s only squad with an unblemished conference record.
“We just love playing together and fighting for each other,” said Fultz. “It was a big game for us, we wanted to be No. 1in the conference. We just went out and executed.”
