St. John’s outlasts Shadow Mountain, advances to Beach Ball Classic final
St John’s College Prep (D.C.) may be battered, bruised and tired, but it’s headed to the championship game of the 35th Beach Ball Classic.
The Cadets and Shadow Mountain (Ariz.) combined to commit 57 total fouls Wednesday and the Cadets knocked down 37 free throws — a new Beach Ball Classic single-game record — to help them get past the Matadors 77-70 in the semifinals Wednesday night at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
“I feel bad for the crowd, honestly. We were fortunate to take the win; I’m not going to sit here and say that I’m happy with it, but I felt like it was out of our hands and in the kids’ hands a little bit,” said St. John’s coach Sean McAloon, whose team was coming off a win over nationally-ranked Mater Dei (Calif.) on Tuesday. “But both teams tried to persevere and tried to put on a show as much as we could. It was just so stop-and-go, stop-and-go, stop-and-go. It was a tough game being involved in as a player and as a coach, but, once again, I thought the kids did a good job persevering.”
Shadow Mountain coach and former NBA great Mike Bibby anticipated Wednesday’s contest would be tenacious and physical, but never expected the teams to combine to shoot 80 free throws in what was, by far, the most competitive game in the first five days of the tournament.
“These kids are going to be in college next year and I’m trying to get them ready for college, I’m trying to tell them everything isn’t a foul,” said Bibby, who had four players foul out. “Then you get 60 fouls called in one game. It’s kind of upsetting.”
Bibby’s son, Michael, had a team-high 14 points in the first half, allowing the Matadors (10-3) to take a slim two-point advantage into the locker room.
“They’re super physical and they’re very aggressive. They take on Mike’s personality from when he played,” McAloon said. “They don’t give you anything easy. We just [did] what we always do, and that’s persevere.”
St. John’s persevered, indeed.
After a pair of free throws by Cadets senior Anthony Cowan Jr. caused a 40-all tie in the first three minutes of the second half, there were six lead changes and the game was knotted twice.
However, St. John’s (12-0) pulled away after Cowan Jr. grabbed an offensive rebound and assisted a Tre Wood field goal with 44 seconds left to put the Cadets ahead 72-66 and they closed out the game with five straight made free throws.
“It’s just the trust, really. Anthony is the best player on our team and most people know that,” McAloon said. “Tre is only a sophomore, and he’s in a position late in the game and Anthony has the trust in him to go up and finish it. That’s the leadership, and the type of kids we have on our team.”
St. John’s 37 made free throws in the contest passed Frederick Douglass High School (N.Y.), which made 30 foul shots in 2004.
“Like I said, we’re not going to apologize for the way it was called,” McAloon said.
Cowan Jr., a Maryland signee, finished with a game-high 29 points as he made 16 of 17 free throws, and Jeffrey Dowtin Jr., a Rhode Island commitment, scored 25 for St. John’s.
“They’ve got the shooters, they’ve got the guys that get underneath the basket and get the rebounds, they’ve got the guys who can drive to the basket,” Mike Bibby said. “They’ve got an all-around good team. And I think we’re a good team, too. I just wish that the kids would have got to play.”
Michael Bibby finished with 24 points and J.J. Rhymes had 22 for Shadow Mountain, which will meet Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) in the third place game Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
After three physically demanding contests in as many days, there’s no rest for the weary as St. John’s prepares for yet another national power.
The Cadets will play Montverde (Fla.) — ranked No. 1 in the USA Today Super 25 poll — in the title game Thursday night. The Eagles had two days off before taking down Seton Hall Prep on Wednesday, and Montverde should be well rested for the championship.
“That’s what you get when you’re the best in the country; you get an extra two days [of rest],” McAloon said. “Again, you know what, these kids are tough kids and it’s a special group. We’re not going to slow down tomorrow; we’re going to play the same speed we have.”
Cowan Jr. has the same mindset, and believes playing in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, perhaps the toughest league in the country, will have St. John’s prepared.
“We’re just going to play like we play everyday. It’s just another game for us,” Cowan Jr. said. “Those games we see every day, every day of the week so it’s nothing new to us. I’m just happy we were able to pull it out on such a big stage.”
The Beach Ball Classic final will tip off at 7:30 p.m.
“It’s going to be a show,” Cowan Jr. said.
▪ SM (70): J.J. Rhymes 22, Michael Bibby 24, Jordan Pace 5, Harrison Hilliard 4, Jovan Blacksher 6, Jaelen House 5, Darion Spottsville 5, Tyler Jafary 5.
▪ STJ (77): Kylia Skyes 4, Anthony Cowan 29, Dejuan Clayton 5, Jeffrey Dowtin 25, Richard Njoku 1, Tre Wood 8, Reese Mona 5.
▪ Halftime: SM 38, STJ 36. 3-point goals: SM 4 (Bibby 2, Rhymes, Pace), STJ 6 (Dowtin 4, Wood, Cowan). Team fouls: SM 34, STJ 23. Fouled out: Fouled out: Hillard, Spottsville, Jafary, Bryce Fisher (Shadow Mountain); Sykes (St. John’s). Technical fouls: Shadow Mountain 1 (Bench 1), St. John’s 2 (Dowtin Jr. 1, Bench 1).
▪ Records: Shadow Mountain (10-3), St. John's (12-0).
This story was originally published December 31, 2015 at 2:19 AM with the headline "St. John’s outlasts Shadow Mountain, advances to Beach Ball Classic final."