Scecina traveled to Roncalli Tuesday night for a battle between two Catholic schools, and those that crowded into Roncalli's gym were treated to an outstanding game and record individual performance. While Roncalli has dominated this matchup in recent years, Scecina was able to claim last year's contest by eight points.
Roncalli's Jimmy King came out of the gates firing, hitting a pair of three pointers in the quarter, but the unexpected contribution came from fellow senior guard Max Clifford. Coming off the bench for the first time in a year, Clifford entered the game halfway through the quarter and asserted himself by draining a pair of triples himself. Scecina, playing without the services of senior guard Josh Rutland, got off to a slow start. They were able to finish the quarter emphatically however when Zach Rutland held the ball for the final 40 seconds, then drove the lane and hoisted a lob which Andre Jones finished off with one hand.
The second quarter saw Jimmy King continue his hot shooting, as he used his size to shoot from deep over the outstretched arms of defenders and take his man off the dribble when he had a quickness advantage. "He's as good as anybody we've had at getting his own shot, with his size and ability to shoot over people." said Roncalli coach Michael Wantz. Scecina did not go away, being led by Zach Rutland, who amassed six first half assists by drawing help and dishing to teammates near the rim. A wild Jimmy King shot missed at the halftime horn, but the real drama occurred when the teams were going to the locker room. A Scecina assistant exchanged words with an official, and received a technical for his efforts.
As the second half began, Jimmy King stepped to the foul line and buried the two technical free throws, which would become a major factor later on. The free throws would be a spark for King, as he scored 13 points in the quarter and Roncalli would extend their lead to ten at the end of the period.
Down as the fourth quarter started, Scecina coach Rob New was looking for someone to step up, and that turned out to be IUPUI signee TJ Henderson. Henderson hit contested threes as well as driving to finish at the rim and would bring his squad to within two with just under five minutes remaining. Scecina began to trap Jimmy King once he crossed halfcourt, and he was able to find teammates lurking, especially Clifford, who knocked down a couple of threes and got to the foul line off of King passes. "Max has started for a year now, but he came off the bench to get a different look, and he was willing to do that, and it worked." Wantz said. It was a three point game after Gary Bonds hit from behind the arc off a Zach Rutland feed with just under a minute remaining.
After trading free throws, TJ Henderson was able to force a steal and quickly turned that into a layup to bring Scecina within one with under ten seconds remaining. Scecina would then foul Max Clifford, who was unable to connect on either free throw. The rebound came to Zach Rutland, who raced down the floor. He drove and attempted a runner from about 8 feet on the right side, but the ball glanced off the rim and fell to Jimmy King. King smartly threw the ball the length of the floor, and Roncalli was able to hold on for a 73-72 victory. Jimmy King tied the Roncalli single game scoring record with 38 points.
Scecina traveled to Roncalli Tuesday night for a battle between two Catholic schools, and those that crowded into Roncalli's gym were treated to an outstanding game and record individual performance. While Roncalli has dominated this matchup in recent years, Scecina was able to claim last year's contest by eight points.