The score was tied at 30 midway through the fourth quarter when a 3-point attempt by Derek Parsons hit the rim, hit the top of the backboard, and somehow fell in.
The basket gave York a 33-30 lead. Wildcats Coach Jerry Hill had a feeling it was the start of something bigger.
“I turned to my assistant coach, and I said ‘That’s going to get us going,'” he said.
Hill’s hunch was correct. The shot kick-started a run of 12 straight points that allowed No. 3 York to take command of its Class B South quarterfinal against No. 6 Spruce Mountain, propelling the Wildcats to a 50-37 win Friday at the Portland Expo.
Connor Roberge led the Wildcats (16-3) with 14 points. Parsons finished with 11, and Lukas Bouchard had 10 points and 17 rebounds.
“The key was we made some shots in the fourth quarter that we just weren’t making earlier in the game,” said Hill, whose team went 5 for 5 from the field during the deciding run. “I also thought our shot selection was much better in the fourth quarter.”
Spruce Mountain was led by 11 points each from junior Jace Bessey and sophomore Cai Dougher. Dougher fouled out when called for a charge with 4:30 to play, depriving the Phoenix (12-7) of their best inside presence.
“That’s what changed the game,” said Spruce Mountain Coach Scott Bessey, whose team got all but three points from underclassmen. “For having very little height and being as young as we are, I am so happy with how hard we competed.”
After the shot by Parsons fell for a 33-30 lead with 4:55 left, York was off and running. Reece MacDonald followed with another 3, Ryan Cummins drove for a pair of baskets, and Bouchard scored inside to make it 42-30 with 3:09 remaining.
It was a sharp contrast to the first three quarters, when Spruce’s 2-3 zone had York flustered.
“Their defense was a little interesting. Once we found a rhythm and figured out how to break it, it was cruising from there,” Parsons said. “Once we started isolation and pick and rolling with (Bouchard), I think the kickouts were wide open.”
The 6-foot-5 Bouchard was a difference-maker throughout, vacuuming up missed shots and giving York second chances.
“At halftime, we knew we needed to change some things offensively (and) defensively to get the energy going,” he said. “We knew our shots were going to fall. Once (they did), we felt the energy get sucked out of them and the momentum swing to us.”
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