It’s Moore Than a Feeling

A stunning shooting exhibition in the fourth quarter Friday night by sophomore Andrew Moore of Crespi High left his teammates sprawling on the court in ecstasy after the visiting Celts upset defending Mission League champion Chaminade, 42-38.

Moore scored 14 consecutive points over a three-minute span, including four three-point shots, as Crespi (11-3, 2-0) handed the Eagles (10-3, 0-1) their first league defeat since the 1996-97 season.

“It’s one of the biggest wins in Crespi history to come into their house,” Moore said.

Despite no starter in the lineup taller than 6-3, the Celts were able to hold 6-foot-9 All-Southern Section center Scott Borchart to nine points.

Borchart got off just one shot in the second half. Each time he touched the ball, he’d have a Crespi player stationed behind him and another trying to swipe the ball out of his hands.

Chaminade Coach Jeff Young didn’t appreciate the officiating that let the Celts aggressively take on Borchart.

“He got brutalized,” Young insisted. “He got beat up. That’s my fault. I didn’t say a word.”

Even with Borchart neutralized, Chaminade led most of the game until Moore became as hot shooting the ball--red--as the color of his hair.

With Crespi trailing, 31-27, and just over six minutes left, Moore hit a three-point basket. He connected on another three-pointer to tie the game, 33-33. After two free throws by Cayce Cook of Chaminade, Moore’s baseline three-pointer with 4:54 remaining gave Crespi a 36-35 lead. He hit another baseline three-pointer for a 39-36 lead. He made another shot with 3:41 left for a 41-36 Crespi lead. The Eagles were left dumbfounded.

They had shut down Crespi’s leading scorer, Marcin Jagoda, limiting him to eight points. They had prevented the Celts’ three-point specialist, Tim McDonough, from scoring. But no one could have imagined the 6-foot Moore making every shot in sight.

“Andrew Moore got us,” Young said. “We had everybody else.”

Crespi Coach Dick Dornan collapsed on the court in celebration. Dornan, in his second season, has already turned around a program that hasn’t had a winning record since 1992. He has built a team that thrives on unselfish play and all-out hustle.

“We all play with heart,” guard Blake Tibbetts said.

What Moore accomplished won’t soon be forgotten. His teammates kept giving him screens, and he’d bury the ball into the net. He finished with 18 points.

“Andrew is a special player,” Dornan said. “He has the mentality of a senior. I told the team at halftime somebody has to step up and make shots and be the hero. Andrew was the man. He was unbelievable. He’s capable of scoring, but scoring like that is incredible.”

Crespi went more than four minutes of the first quarter without scoring and took more than five minutes in the second quarter before scoring. The Celts were behind, 20-13, at halftime, but were never out of the game because they wouldn’t let Borchart take charge.

When Borchart picked up his fourth foul at the outset of the fourth quarter, that’s when Crespi’s confidence shot up.

“It was an energy boost,” Dornan said. “We knew when the best player goes out, that’s when you go for the kill. And we did.”