Comments (10)|
Digg|
Save|
License|
Print|
E-mail|
February 29, 2008 - 1:50AM
Bizarre ending sends St. Mary’s to title game
By Kyle Odegard, Tribune
Chandler Hamilton players lingered for a few extra moments on the court at Jobing.com Arena Thursday night, flabbergasted at the bizarre turn of events that robbed them of a spot in the 5A-I state championship game.
SLIDESHOW: View Boys 5A-I state basketball semifinals
Hamilton had possession of the ball and a four-point lead just 16 seconds away from victory, but a technical foul called on Zak Hambsch resulted in a five-point swing as Phoenix St. Mary's pulled out an improbable 58-57 semifinal boys basketball win in Glendale.
According to officials, Hambsch threw the ball at St. Mary's guard James Hollins following a timeout call by Hamilton, giving St. Mary's two free throws and the ball. Collins hit both free throws and then a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left for the win.
Hollins admitted bumping Hambsch after Hamilton called the timeout.
"I walked by and I bumped the kid," Hollins said. "The kid retaliated, and they always call the technical on the (person who retaliates). He pushed me, so they called the technical on the kid."
Hamilton coach Kevin Hartwig was baffled at the timing of the call in a game that was physical from start to finish.
"I can't explain it to those guys in there (his players in the locker room) that the refs decided something on the sideline that had no meaning," Hartwig said. "The (ref) closest, looking right at it, did nothing. Some guy 30 feet away made the call."
Hamilton trailed 26-20 at the end of the second quarter, but was the better team in the second half.
John Jackson had 12 of his 16 points after intermission, and Ryan Evans hit a pair of free throws with 47.6 seconds left for a 57-51 lead. Evans finished with a game-high 21 points and added seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Hollins hit a floater to cut the lead to 57-53, and Evans was fouled with 33 seconds left. He missed both free throws, but Alante Wright came up with the ball and called timeout. The Huskies then moved the ball around for 15 seconds with St. Mary's unable to foul and called timeout.
That's when Hambsch was whistled for the technical and the game changed.
Hollins hit the free throws, then used a screen from Byron Fulton to get free for a moment, and confidently sank the 3-pointer.
"He's a clutch player," St. Mary's coach David Lopez said. "He's the one that fires us up, he's the one that settles us down. He's experienced and he's been there a few times."
The Knights will play Phoenix Desert Vista at 8 p.m. today in the championship.
Reader comments (10)
This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below. Responsibility lies solely with the comment author.
fenian23
Robbed? The word choice reveals Odegard's bias and infers larceny was somehow involved. This assumes that every other call was perfect, but the refs got it wrong in the end. It was a physical game and refs made their calls (and non-calls), like any basketball game. Pity Hamilton for Hambsch's lack of poise, but this too - is part of the game. I watched a hard fought battle and saw Hambsch jacking his jaw all night; maybe the ref had enough. It was certainly the correct call - and it did not award 5 points to St. Mary's. Hollins was cool as ice and St. Mary's added another miracle come-back to its tradition-laden program. Congratulations to St. Mary's, on this victory and three state-game appearances in the past four years. Suggest removal of this commentFebruary 29, 2008
WATCH THE VIDEO
Watch the video of the game before you post comments for an incident that you didn't see!!The Hamilton Coach called timeout just as the St. Marys player pushed the Hamilton Player. This happened right in front of the Hamilton Bench. The St. Marys (#21) walked by and with his left elbow, knocked the ball out of the Hamilton Players (Zak Hambsch) arm. The video is so clear that Zak did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to get the Technical.
Secondly, the official standing 5 feet from the action didn't call the foul, it was the one who was under the basket about 25+ feet away!!
HAMILTON GOT ROBBED!! Suggest removal of this comment
February 29, 2008
jaberwocky
I guess when the St. Mary's player that threw a should into the Hamilton player initially was what you call a class move Suggest removal of this commentFebruary 29, 2008
dave
wow, it looks like somebody pulled a robert horry, cause the other team to retaliate and capture a chance to win a championship. oh and odegard is a great writer DONT YOU DATE BASH HIM fenian23!!!!!Suggest removal of this comment
February 29, 2008
ForShame
So it appears that Hollins intentionally pushed Hambsch in the hopes that he would retaliate and get a technical – and it worked.What kind of message are we sending to the youth of today! If you can’t win fairly, cheat and hope that the system does its job.
More importantly, what do they teach these kids at St. Mary’s – a religious based school?
It’s OK to cheat if you win; they do it in the NBA so it must be OK for us?
Last year St. Mary’s Bayless was over heard by the ref’s using profanities at a Dobson player and was given an automatic technical. So much the altruistic benefit of a religious education!
St. Mary’s administration should be very upset by the way their student athletes represent their school!
Suggest removal of this comment
February 29, 2008
atthegame
So it appears that Hambsch intentionally retaliated in the hopes that he would not get a technical - and it did not work.What kind of message are we sending to the youth of today?!? If you can't just go to your bench for a timeout without shoving somebody, that you don't deserve to be penalized?
More importantly, what do they teach these kids at Hamilton these days - a publicly funded school?
Its OK to shove somebody knowing full well that you penalize your entire team. They don't always get T'd up in the NBA so it must be OK for me to do it?
Last year, players were heard using profanities in every sporting event in every game. Its what teenagers do, they are teenagers. So much for the altruistic benefit of being raised in a good home. (We are all to blame)
Hamilton's administration should be very upset with how their student fans represented their school! Suggest removal of this comment
February 29, 2008
Watched the highlights
Seem a little biased? Hamilton talks about "cheaters" and cheap plays. but your school has absolutely nothing to talk about. If I recall right, you are not allowed to play in the next 5 years football playoffs for recruiting from california. great job hamilton. Hollins is an emotional player. when someone gets in his face, he'll do something to let you know he's still there. it wasn't violent like the robert horry situation. this was a little love tap that comes with the game. the hamilton student had no reason to retaliate. players are tought that their whole life. and theres a reason there is more than one ref on the court. in case the other one misses the call. dont complain about our way we handle ourselves on the court. handle your business first. regardless the call. if your guard hits his two free throws this doesnt even happen. haha good lck next year Suggest removal of this commentFebruary 29, 2008
chicky
hamilton can't play in the "next 5 years football playoffs for recruiting from california"what could you possibly be talking about? Suggest removal of this comment
February 29, 2008
Chicken Face
St Marys showed their true colors one night later getting their but ts handed to them by DV. Hamilton finished 3rd in their division and was clearly better than St Marys. I wonder what Highland or Gilbert would have done to the pedestrian Knights of Saint Marys? Suggest removal of this commentMarch 2, 2008
Interesting
Did you know the ref who called the technical was a St. Mary's grad? Something smells fishy. Suggest removal of this commentMarch 3, 2008