Chaminade Somber After 45-44 Loss

A large crowd outside the Chaminade High gymnasium forced its basketball team to leave through the back door after the Eagles’ one-point loss Saturday night, a defeat that might have put an end to Chaminade’s playoff hopes.

No, a lynch mob had not gathered looking for an official or a player; the school had scheduled a dance.

But after his team’s 45-44 loss to Cathedral, Chaminade Coach Mike Lynn was not in the mood to party: “Let’s just say I wasn’t planning to dance much, anyway,” Lynn said.

Cathedral’s Louis Fuentes ruined the festive atmosphere by making the first of two free throws with four seconds left, giving the Phantoms the Santa Fe League victory. After a timeout, Chaminade’s Chris Bruckner threw the ball out of bounds on a long inbounds pass with one second left.

“We’re in the playoffs now,” Cathedral Coach Mike Miller said. “For Cathedral, a team that was picked to finish fifth, that’s a big thing.”

The Phantoms took a seven-point lead into the final quarter, but Chaminade scored 6 of the period’s first 8 points and then tied the score, 40-40, when Doug Marconet made one of two free throws with 4:13 to play.

Marconet again tied the score, 44-44, with a three-point jump shot with 1:41 to play. On their next possession, the Phantoms stalled until they took a timeout with 31 seconds left. When play resumed, Fuentes took a pass from Ice Williams in the lane and was fouled by Pete Miller, setting up the game-winning free throw.

Cathedral dominated the third quarter, in which Chaminade (12-7, 7-3 in league play) made just 1 of 10 shots, by outscoring the Eagles, 14-4.

“We lost the game in the third quarter. After that we were down, and had to fight back,” Lynn said. “We couldn’t buy a bucket. I don’t know what happened.”

Fuentes finished with 14 points and Williams added 11. Andy Connolly had 14 points for Chaminade.

Cathedral (15-4, 9-1) remains in first place in the league with a one-game lead over Bell-Jeff and Harvard, both winners Saturday. With four league games remaining, Chaminade might need help from other teams to make the playoffs.

“It’s still in our own hands,” Lynn said. “If we win the rest of our games, we’ll make the playoffs.”