WINNING MOMENT – Madonna players and coaches rush to celebrate with Luca Mozzi (21) after his half-court shot at the buzzer was good to give the Blue Dons a 65-63 win over Catholic Central on Friday night inside the Dobby Dome. -Andrew Grimm
WIRTON — In sports, the term “Hailey Mary” has long been associated with late heroics on the soccer field.
After Friday night, fans of Madonna and Blue Dons coach Jorge Vargo may think of Luca Mozzi on the basketball court before anyone on the gridiron when they hear him in the future.
After being on the receiving end of an incoming pass with three seconds showing on the clock inside the Dube Dome near center court, Muzzi left a desperation run toward the hoop as the buzzer sounded.
Moments later, teammates, coaches and fans swarmed him after his shot dropped through the hoop to give the Blue Dons a 65-63 victory.
“I was asked if I sketched that play, and no, I didn’t — a Hail Mary,” Fargo said. “I said a Hail Mary (when he fired) and she listened.”
“This is a great rivalry between the two schools and the two cities. The players on both sides went for it and played hard, jumping for the ball. It was just a great game.”
Muzzi, a senior, finished with a game-high 22 points. Although he looked like a likely candidate to be designed for the shot had Vargo executed it, he said he stresses to his team that every player be ready for such a moment, while also praising the experience Mozzi brings.
“I tell these guys every day in practice, ‘You never know who’s going to get the last shot,'” Fargo said. “You don’t think it will be (Anthony Mascio) every time, he could be the eighth player (on the bench) who has the ball in his hands and has to make the decision. (Mozi) made the decision to shoot, I know it was a lucky shot, but sometimes Luck is better than luck.
“He played in a lot of big games and big moments.”
As unlikely as the win seemed when the shot was fired from half court, it seemed less likely earlier in the night when Madonna (1-1) trailed by 18 points in the third quarter, its second deficit of the game.
But to their credit, the Dons didn’t go away. After the Crusaders (2-3) led by 12 after one and pushed the lead to 19 with a 7-0 run in the second quarter, Madonna went on a 9-2 run and got the margin to single digits before the Crusaders led by 11 at halftime.
“We didn’t play very good defense in the first half and they were hot on the outside,” Fargo said. “I made some adjustments at half-time and said some things, and I think it corrected some things. In the second half we decided to bomb the ball inside and get to the goal line.
After the two teams exchanged buckets early in the third period, Central’s Evan Long (16 points) hit back-to-back triples to spark a Central run that pushed the margin to 18.
From there, though, the Dons took off, scoring the final 12 points of the quarter to pull within six of the fourth. In the fourth, freshman Reed Wilharm knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to three, and Madonna eventually took a 60-59 lead with 1:33 remaining on a pair of free throws by Chase Littleton, who finished off his double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds).
Benji Rock (19 points) put Central back on top 61-60 with 1:06 left, before Littleton answered with a bucket for the Dons with 30 minutes left.
It looked as if the Crusaders had finally struck when Tommy Bergé connected on a set play on the inside to make it 63-62 to the Crusaders with 08 remaining: But Muzzi had other plans.
“As I told the guys in the locker room, we didn’t lose that game (on Mozzie’s shot), we lost that game the way we played in the second half,” said Catholic Central assistant coach John Leary, who was officiating. For head coach Don Ogden, who missed the game recovering from a medical procedure. “We had poor shot selection, we didn’t run our offense well, we missed some easy shots. Everyone will look at the last two games… the game wasn’t lost there. They were blown away by our shot selection and letting them get key rebounds late in the game (it was Madonna’s) 29-18 advantage over glass).
“A half-court shot with two seconds left, I’m not sure there’s any way to defend it without fouling him. He took the shot, and God bless him, it went in. Give credit to Madonna, it didn’t go far. Coach Fargo would never let that happen We told them when we were at the end of the first half that we could be tied because they would continue to play hard.
“We have to learn to play forward, we play the same attack whether we are up by 18 or down by 18 at the moment. There is a big difference in the game in those situations and we have to mature and learn that if we want to win the big games.
We come together
The two teams joined hands in a prayer circle after the game to show support for Ogden, who also coached at Madonna. A pre-match prayer was also recited for the coach.
“I hope he feels better soon,” Fargo said. “We love Coach Ogden, he coached here at Madonna and we hope prayers will help him.
“It was nice to see the teams come together to do this, and that’s what two Catholic schools should do. We should come together and show friendship, compassion and sportsmanship after the game.”
Leary said Ogden plans to be able to rejoin the Crusaders soon.
the next
Catholic Center: Hosts Bridgeport on Tuesday.
Madonna: Travels to Vale on Tuesday.
Madonna 65, Catholic Central 63
Catholic Central 12-11-27-63
Madonna 15-14-17-19 – 65
Catholic Center (2-3): Long 5 2-2 16; Rook 8 1-2 19; Predicate 4 0-0 12; Bergi 2 0-0 4; Bradley 1 0-0 2; Rod 2 2-2 6; Mihalio 0 0-0 0; Hickey 2 0-0 4. Total: 24, 5-6; 63.
Madonna (1-1): Maceo 6 1-2 16; Mozi 8 4-5 22; Juntas 1 1-2 3; Littleton 5 5-13 15; Connors 0 1-2 1; Dobraska 0 0-0 0; Miller 1 0-0 2; Crosland 0 0-0 0; Wilharm 1 2-2 5. Total: 22, 14-26; 65.
3-Point Goals: Catholic Center 10 (long 4, prop 4, rook 2); Madonna 5 (Mascio 3, Mozi 2). Assists: Catholic Central 18 (Long 5); Madonna 14 (Mascio 7). Rebounds: Catholic Central 18 (Polster, Rode 4); Madonna 29 (Littleton 10). Conversions: Catholic Central 9; Madonna 12.
In an incredible display of skill and precision, Muzzi’s half-court lift has raised Madonna to new heights in the world of sports. This stunning feat has garnered widespread attention and admiration, propelling Muzzi into the spotlight as a standout athlete. With this remarkable achievement, Madonna is poised to excel on the competitive stage, solidifying their position as a force to be reckoned with in the realm of sports.