The Eagles’ opportunity on Saturday’s Senior Night that entered the second-floor gym on Ludlow Street was archrival Alter, already the Greater Catholic League Coed champions and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Division II tournament.
From the jump, the 10th-seeded Eagles seized the opportunity to finish an up-and-down season the best way possible. They led 9-0, 14-3 and kept building the lead until they celebrated a 65-37 upset.
“This was by far the best team effort we’ve had,” Szabo said. “I think last night played a big part in it. Our guys got determined and they got focused.”
The Eagles (10-11, 6-4 GCLC) lost 45-38 to Carroll on Friday for their fourth straight loss. Szabo said Carroll was the more physical team. But on Saturday the Eagles were more physical and the aggressor against the Knights (15-7, 8-2) to avenge a 53-37 loss at Alter in December.
Alter coach Eric Coulter called Saturday’s game a perfect storm. He said his team was feeling too good about itself after clinching the league title Friday, and CJ was fired up to end its losing streak.
“They came in like a wild animal and were just all over us,” Coulter said. “It was their at night – there was no question about that. And nothing went right for us. I don’t think there’s one phase in the game that we did well, and I don’t think there’s one phase of the game that they did not do well.”
CJ’s four seniors accounted for 44 points. Cal Weatherspoon scored 15, Johnson 13, T.J. Donnelly nine and Devin Rakestraw seven.
“I have a lot of memories on this court, and I just didn’t want to waste the opportunity for my last time on this court,” Weatherspoon said. “Last night really motivated us to come out tonight and give it our all.”
The Eagles’ defensive effort kept the Knights searching for open shots. No one was more affected than leading scorer R.J. Greer. Thanks to David Cartwright’s Velcro defense, Greer scored two points. He had 22 in the first meeting.
“David was outstanding defensively,” Szabo said. “He made him work for every dribble he got, let alone shot. David’s got chance to be a really, really good defender. He showed it tonight.”
Joe Brand was the only Knight in double figures with 12 points. The Knights were also hindered by a few first-half turnovers that led to easy points for CJ. The Eagles also soared to the offensive boards to build a 35-18 lead.
The Eagles scored the final 11 points of the third quarter to lead 54-29. Then Weatherspoon scored the first basket of the fourth on a baseline out of bounds play. He bounced the ball off the back of an Alter player, stepped quickly in bounds, grabbed the ball and made a layup. It wasn’t long before Coulter began to empty his bench.
“For me it was how we responded,” Coulter said. “Every time something didn’t go our way, we didn’t fight. We just accepted it and how the game was played. The physical part of it really gave us problems.”
Coulter said he won’t dwell on the loss and will get ready for Wednesday’s tournament opener against No. 21 Greenville. Szabo, however, must work to keep his team sharp until it’s first game on Feb. 27 against the winner of No. 7 Urbana and No, 14 Eaton.
“You hope this carries into their practice efforts and you string a few good practices together and feel really good about yourself,” Szabo said. “And you get that effort and you get that concentration going into the tournament.”
And embrace it as a new opportunity.
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