Alter upsets top-seeded CJ in final game for coaching legend

And did the Knights ever.

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They didn't allow a field goal until the first minute of the second quarter. They led by 18 at halftime. And when CJ cut that lead to nine midway through the third, the Knights responded with a 9-2 run to close the quarter. When it was over, the seventh-seeded Knights had rolled to a 61-35 second-round sectional victory at Trent Arena in CJ coaching legend Joe Staley's final game.

“Alter played absolutely a great basketball and outplayed us in every phase of the game,” Staley said.

The Knights (15-9) will face Fenwick, a team they’ve beaten twice, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Middletown High School for the right to go to districts.

CJ (19-5) won the GCL North, beat Alter twice and spent a week ranked No. 1 in the state. But the only momentum they found was that short-lived third-quarter run. Milton Gage was the only Eagle in double figures with 10 points.

“I love my basketball team,” Staley said. “We wouldn’t have 19 wins if we played like this every night, but tonight for whatever reason, we just didn’t play very well. I wouldn’t trade these kids for anything.”

Alter’s defense was active. The Knights deflected passes, stripped balls loss in the lane and limited 3-point attempts. The Knights disrupted many CJ fast-break opportunities with their hustle.

“Alter’s really valuing the defensive end of the floor this last third of the year a lot more than they did the first two-thirds of the season,” Staley said. “I think their coach would agree with that.”

Alter’s fast start and even faster finish was the kind of effort Coulter and his players expected. After all, they wanted this rematch.

“We knew we came out flat last time, and we knew we had to pick it up and we kept feeding off each other’s energy,” senior point guard Dominic Ruffolo said. “I was really happy with how everyone was working their butts off.”

The offensive end was balanced. Rich Kolb made three 3-pointers and scored 11 points. Conor Stolly had 10 and Ruffolo and Jack Smith had nine each.

The Knights have also gotten completely healthy since that big loss in January. Connor Bazelak, Connor Meyer and Derek Willits all had to come back from football injuries. Now the depth and rotations are set and the Knights are playing the best they’ve played all season.

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Staley didn’t want to talk about himself, his 452-345 record, 12 league titles, nine district titles and four state final fours, but he did talk about his team.

“I’m not going to spend my retirement thinking about this game, but I will spend a lot of my retirement thinking about this basketball team and all they accomplished,” he said.

When Staley returned to the gym, the CJ faithful greeted him with an ovation. He smiled and waved.

“He has been by far one of the ambassadors of basketball in Dayton,” Coulter said. “Even though we’re big rivals I have a ton of respect for Joe Staley.”