In a game featuring two run-and-gun style teams, the game between Pymatuning Valley and Youngstown Ursuline did not lack in excitement. Despite coming into the game as the Warren District winners and the AP’s #12-ranked team in the state, the Pymatuning Valley Lakers were not expected to defeat the more seasoned Ursuline Fighting Irish. Even PV’s home newspaper, the Ashtabula Star Beacon, featured a Wednesday column picking the Lakers to lose. But the Lakers would use all of this as motivation, knowing this was their chance to prove their doubters wrong.
The game started with both teams running but turning the ball over early. 5′8″ senior point guard Nick McCartney put Ursuline up 3-0 with a early trey as both teams took frequent 3-point shots which would not fall. PV’s senior point guard Corey Shontz dished to junior Mark Riley for a 3-pointer to put the Lakers up 9-7 at the 4:57 mark and Shontz again picked up an assist on the next possession as Steve Savel added two for a PV 11-7 lead. Ursuline fought back to tie the score at 11-11 before a 9-2 run by the Lakers made it 20-13 nearing the end of the 1st Quarter. The Fighting Irish held for the final possession of the quarter and cut the deficit to 20-15 heading into the 2nd Quarter.
The bucket by Ursuline to close the 1st Quarter seemed to give the Fighting Irish life as a 8-0 run gave Ursuline a 21-20 lead with 6:20 to play in the half before Shontz hit a baseline jumper to put PV back on top 22-21. Ursuline responded with a 3-point basket from senior George Williams for a 24-22 lead before a Steve Savel steal and pass to Shontz tied the game at 24 apiece. The teams went back and forth as Ursuline took a 32-30 lead into the half after outscoring the Lakers 17-10 in the 2nd Quarter.
The two teams continued to trade jabs, a theme that would play out the entire night, as a Jake Lautanen 3-pointer made it 37-36 PV with 5:41 left in the 3rd Quarter. Williams and Savel each added free throws for their respective teams before a Lautanen floater in the lane gave the Lakers a 42-39 lead with 2:39 to play in the 3rd. Williams responded with a 3-point make to tie the score at 42 and the teams traded buckets for a 44-44 tie after three quarters.
The PV and Ursuline again traded baskets before a Shontz steal and pass to Riley who assisted a basket by Lautanen put the Lakers on top 48-46. Ursuline responded to tie the game at 48, then again the score was tied at 50 when a Bryan Easton offensive rebound and put-back gave PV the 52-50 lead with 5:23 to play. McCartney answered with a jumper for Ursuline to tie the score at 52 before Easton nailed a 3-point shot for a 55-52 PV lead. The Lakers called a timeout with 4:16 to play and a 55-52 lead, but saw the Irish cut the lead to one at 55-54 as fouls were about to begin to become a factor. Savel picked up his 4th foul resulting in a missed free throw for the Irish with 3:20 to play before the game’s high-scorer, Ursuline’s Dominique Cole, was whistled for his 4th foul sending Easton to the line. Easton hit one of two free throws before Shontz was called for his 4th foul. As the fouls piled up in a short period of time, neither team could capitalize from the charity stripe. With the game tied at 56, the Fighting Irish called a timeout with 58.7 seconds remaining in regulation. Ursuline’s strategy was to stall and play for the last shot, but with 5 seconds remaining the Irish missed a lay-up that would have put them ahead. PV could not get a good look at the basket as the game headed to OT tied 56-56.
Ursuline would control most of the first overtime after taking a 61-58 lead with just under two minutes to play in the extra session. Shontz hit a jumper to cut the score to 61-60 before McCartney hit two clutch free throws to extend the lead to 63-60. Easton got the put-back on a Shontz miss to cut the lead to 63-62 before McCartney again hit two clutch free throws to extend the Ursuline lead to 65-62 with 30.4 seconds remaining. Then came the play of the game. Shontz found Savel for a lay-up as Cole committed his 5th and final foul sending Savel to the line with the Lakers now down one. With 19.4 seconds remaining Savel, a 59% free throw shooter on the season, nailed the biggest shot of his life. The Lakers defense contained Ursuline’s attempt at a game-winning shot to send the game into a second overtime tied at 65-65.
The second overtime was dominated by the Lakers as Savel nailed two more free throws for a 67-65 lead and Lautanen added a free throw himself to make it 68-65. After an Irish miss was rebounded by Riley, Laker head coach Jeremy Huber wanted a timeout with 2:24 remaining. The Lakers repeatedly passed the ball throughout their half of the court in an effort to stall before a Riley lay-up was rejected out of bounds. PV inbounded and ran the clock down to 1:24 before a Ursuline foul sent Easton to the line where he hit both free throws for a 70-65 lead. An Ursuline missed shot resulted in a John Colla offensive rebound as Riley drew his 4th foul, but Colla missed both shots from the line and Easton rebounded for PV. The Lakers added two Lautanen free throws before a 3-point bucket by McCartney cut the lead to 72-68. But the Laker lead would prove to be too much for the Fighting Irish as PV added four more free throws to seal a 76-68 double overtime win.
Dominique Cole led all scorers with 28 points for Ursuline and teammate Nick McCartney added 18 points in his final game for the Irish. PV saw all five starters in double figures lead by Steve Savel with 25 points, Jake Lautanen with 18 and Bryan Easton with 16 points while Shontz added 10 points and 9 assists.
With the win the Lakers have advanced farther than any other previous Pymatuning Valley boys’ basketball team in school history. The 1961-1962 Lakers lost an overtime thriller in this same Regional Semifinal round. The 2007-2008 Lakers will face Villa Angela-St. Joseph in the Division III Canton Regional Finals on Saturday night at 7:30 pm. The game will again be at the Canton Memorial Fieldhouse and will feature the AP #7 Vikings against the AP #12 Lakers as the Division III Tournament brackets have just 8 teams remaining alive for the 2008 Division III State Championship.