On Tuesday night against Fort Loramie, Van Loo and his Cedarville teammates needed his go-to move as the clock threatened to expire on their season and his high school career.
The No. 1 seeded Indians fell behind by a point with 15 seconds left. Head coach Ryan Godlove, however, had called a play in a previous timeout.
“I told them that if we get the ball and we’ve got enough time, just go into it,” Godlove said. “I just kept an eye to see if we could get downhill, see if we get into the action we wanted to get into, and I felt like it was there. I just trusted the guys that they’d make the play.”
Van Loo saw the opening on the left side, attacked the basket and scored between two defenders with three seconds left to lift Cedarville to a 45-44 Division VII district semifinal victory at Piqua High School.
“I just got really good with my left,” Van Loo said. “I’m almost better finishing with my left than my right at this point.”
After Van Loo scored, Loramie rushed the ball inbounds and heaved a prayer from beyond half court. When it banged off backboard, the bench rushed across the floor to mob Van Loo in front of the Indians’ student section.
“It was surreal, man,” he said. “It was just a great win for me and my teammates. We want to keep fighting and make a deep playoff run.”
The Indians (21-3) advanced to Saturday’s 11 a.m. district final at Piqua to face the winner of Wednesday night’s game between Fayetteville-Perry and Middletown Christian.
Van Loo, who earned the postgame right to wear the team’s oversized gold chain with the words “Got the DAWG in me,” attacked the left side for eight of his team-high 13 points. So it came as no surprise to fellow senior Will Mossing when the shot went through the net.
“We’ve done it every day since fourth grade,” Mossing said. “Me and him — we’re just teammates for life."
The path to the winning moment was rocky. The Indians trailed 14-7 after committing five turnovers in the first quarter. They trailed 19-16 at halftime, still unable to generate their usual offense. They didn’t gain their first lead since 5-3 until sophomore Brayden Trimbach (10 points) made a driving shot for a 33-32 lead to open the fourth quarter.
The lead was tied at 37 and 40. Then it changed hands twice. Cooper Hardy made two free throws with 55 seconds left for a 43-42 Cedarville lead.
Loramie (10-15) ran offense for 30 seconds then called its last timeout. They ran a backdoor cut for Ean Grillot. D.J. Barhorst passed to Grillot for a layup with 15 seconds left and a 44-43 lead.
“We put this set in probably midway through the year, and it’s probably one of the better ones we’ve been executing and it’s a long developing set,” Loramie coach Mitch Westerheide said.
But Cedarville’s veteran lineup responded calmly in stark contrast to their first-quarter miscues, making all five of their two-point attempts in the fourth. The five starters — Trimbach, Hardy and seniors Van Loo, Mossing and Brett Haemmerle — have been an iron five since about midseason. Injuries took out two experienced bench players. The only sub Tuesday was freshman guard Ben Schulte.
“We’re definitely a skilled group of guys, but it wouldn’t work like that unless we had some chemistry,” Van Loo said. “It’s a good group of guys. Everyone’s a great, great teammate.”
As the No. 10 seed, Loramie might not have been expected to challenge a No. 1 seed. But the Redskins play in the always tough Shelby County League and play a lot of non-league games against top competition from the Midwest Athletic Conference.
The Indians knew that and knew Loramie would be formidable. But they also wanted to prove something.
“Before the game we see Shelby County this and that,” Mossing said. “Everyone’s down on Cedarville because it’s little Cedarville. Shelby County is great — Cedarville stepped up to them.”
Botkins 82, Catholic Central 55: The Fighting Irish’s season ended against the No. 2 seed Trojans, a team known for its defense.
Botkins forced 14 first-half turnovers to create a 46-24 halftime lead. The Irish (10-14) fought gamely in the third before Botkins closed the deal with a run to start the fourth.
Central was led by seniors Keegan Guenther with 16 points and Berkeley Little with 13.
The balanced Trojans got 14 points from Will Monnin, 13 apiece from Eli Pitts and Owen Zimpfer, and 12 apiece from Tucker Huelskamp and sixth-man Brayden Welsh.
Botkins will likely face Cincinnati Miami Valley Christian Academy, the No. 1 seed from the south section, at 3 p.m. Saturday at Piqua.
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