4A BOYS: Loyd breaks tie at foul line, lifts Gorman to title over Palo Verde
-
JASON BEAN/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Bishop Gorman Alex Turner (33) makes the key play in the Class 4A boys state final, blocking a shot by D.J. Stennis of Palo Verde with five seconds left and the game tied 55-all Friday. Taylor Spencer (21) also helps out. Johnathan Loyd’s free throw gave Gorman a 56-55 victory. » Buy this photo
Tools
Updated: Feb. 28, 2009 | 12:29 a.m.
When Bishop Gorman’s Johnathan Loyd stepped to the foul line with 1.8 seconds left in a tie game, there was more than just a game at stake.
The junior guard was shooting for a state championship and family bragging rights.
Loyd achieved both, making the first of two free throws to give the Gaels their only lead and a 56-55 victory over Palo Verde for the Class 4A boys state title Friday night at the Orleans Arena.
“I knew he had it,” senior Kylel Coleman said. “John got to the line a lot this season, and I knew he was going to knock them down. He knocked the first one down, and that’s all we needed.”
Loyd became the first of the three talented Loyd brothers to win a state championship. Neither Mike, who starred at Palo Verde, nor Kevin, a former Gorman standout, played on a title winner.
“I’m the only one,” Johnathan said. “I get to rub it in a little bit to my brothers.”
For most of the game it looked like Palo Verde (24-6) would win the bragging rights, especially because Gorman (28-5) couldn’t get the lead.
The Panthers had the ball with the game tied at 55 and called timeout with 16.4 seconds left to draw up a final play. D.J. Stennis drove to the basket, but Gorman’s Alex Turner blocked his shot with five seconds left.
Loyd secured the loose ball and was fouled near the Palo Verde free-throw line. He hit the first foul shot, then missed the second intentionally, and Palo Verde’s desperation full-court heave wasn’t close.
“Alex Turner made a great block, a great defensive play,” Palo Verde coach Jermone Riley said. “If he doesn’t make that play, if he’s not there, then we probably score and we’re the ones celebrating.”
Palo Verde was clearly in control before Gorman seniors Czar Robotham and Coleman made the biggest shots. With Palo Verde leading 53-47, Robotham’s 3-pointer cut the lead to three with 2:20 to go.
The Gaels quickly forced a turnover, and Coleman penetrated and dished to Taylor Spencer for a basket that cut the gap to 53-52.
After a basket by Palo Verde’s Bryce Cotton, Coleman nailed a long, tying 3-pointer with 1:12 to play.
Coleman finished with a game-high 19 points.
“He made some big shots,” Gorman coach Grant Rice said. “What heart he showed.”
Coleman said the shots were just part of being a leader.
“They were coming to us (seniors) and we said we were going to step up and knock down shots, and that’s what we did,” he said.
Coleman cited defense for keeping the Gaels in the game. They forced 20 turnovers, six in the fourth quarter.
“Every day in practice, we work on defense first,” he said. “Grinding it on 'D,’ getting stops and getting rebounds.”
Rice said: “We went all out for the last three minutes. I wish we could have gotten our guys to play like that the whole game.”
Liloa Nobriga had 16 points and seven rebounds to carry Palo Verde, which twice led by 10 in the fourth quarter, both times following rebound buckets by Nobriga.
“We’re so excited to win the game, but (Palo Verde) definitely did not deserve to lose like that,” Rice said. “Somehow we clawed back.”
Riley said: “No excuses. Our guys battled. In my eyes, they’re champions.”
|
Terms & Conditions
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The reviewjournal.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor. Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
Gary L. wrote on March 14, 2009 04:33 PM:
I hope the refs got a large sum after helping Gorman.
A Real Catholic School Attendee wrote on March 03, 2009 10:48 PM: AGAIN....GORMAN IS NOT A CATHOLIC SCHOOL....LET'S CALL IT FOR WHAT THEY ARE TEACHING THE KIDS THERE...STATUS SCHOOL!!! I don't think I saw any NUNS at the game with their habits. OH....they are civilians teaching the kids!! No wonder! What happened to the Nuns and Priests? No one is blaming the kids....it's the adults running Gorman! BOTTOM LINE the refs LEANED. Even the parents from Gorman that was sitting down watching the games....THEY EVEN HAD THE LOOKS IN THEIR FACES THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL BAD CALLS! "GORMAN STATUS SCHOOL"......you all actually pay to go to that horrible so called Catholic school! GET YOUR MONEY BACK!! Your better off going to a public school. What's a Muslim doing in a Catholic school?! THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HUMM!?? huh? wrote on March 03, 2009 12:58 PM: I'm not a Gorman fan, i have no association with Gorman in any way. My on goes to Sierra Vista, and I honestly don't understand why you're accusing Gorman of cheating. You guys never say anything like this when they lose. It just sounds to me like the ultimate excuse for when they win. I don't understand how thirteen 16 & 17 yr. old boys, in the middle of a game, could possibly cheat or get away with any more than anyone else. They pay the refs? Honestly, if that's true, which is highly unrealistic and i strongly doubt it, then it's not the school that should be ridiculed, it's the referees that should be in jail right now. But you're right Palo fans. I'm sure that the clock malfunction was planned. Gorman paid the 87 yr. old man running the clock to conspire with the referees and have everyone gang up on Palo. Sorry. That's what you're saying and I strongly disagree with the whining. And Gorman's boys weren't expected to acomplish anything this year. It seemed to me like they were the underdogs and they proved themselves this year. Don't ruin the moment for these hard-working athletes. G you're stupid wrote on March 03, 2009 08:45 AM: I'm pretty sure a high school team wouldn't look out of TOWN(besides Gorman) to find players to play for their team. Have you ever considered his parents looking for a job opportunity out here in Vegas? GORmANguy wrote on March 02, 2009 08:22 PM: okay all of you who say gorman cheats wheres your prroof. you guys have noone! not one peice of evidence saying we've ever cheated so stfu!just because were amazing athletes and win.. alot. does not mean we cheat and the person who said you know from personal expierience gorman pays refs. your the biggest idiot of them all. bishop gorman is just outstanding atletes and u have no right to accuse of us ever cheating. and IT KILLS ME THAT WHILE GORMAN IS WINNING A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FAIRLY, AND OTHERS SCHOOLS SUCH AS idk the scholl that used THREE inelligble players are cheating. you people still find a way to criticize gorman! its not becuz u honestly think we recruit or becuz u think we pay refs, or becuz u think we cheat! its because your all jealous of us. and u wish u were part of us. so get over urselves saying we cheat.. we win everything we win faair. G wrote on March 02, 2009 08:22 PM: Gorman recruits... and so does everyone else. Dj Stennis was playing/living in Missouri last year and now all of a sudden he moves to Las Vegas. Tired of it all wrote on March 02, 2009 09:02 AM: Sistren (and others), This is a high school basketball forum, not a religion bashing billboard. Stick to sports. You may not like Gorman (and we may not like you) but you and many others don't know anything about which you speak. Sports are sports with emotions in the heat of battle. Don't lump everything and everyone together to say "all of you Catholics are bad". Gorman isn't for everyone and fortunately, it obviously isn't for you or many others on this site. Academically, 98% of our students go on to higher education and that's why MOST of the students attend. And MOST of the students DON'T come from wealthy backgrounds. Some do, yes, just like some do who go to public schools. Many parents make a hefty sacrifice to send their kids to a private school and also pay their taxes to support the public schools. No, we don't have zones to worry about. Kids attend Gorman by choice-no one forces them. No different than all of the other "private" schools in the nation. Wow, all of this talk about "cheating" and "having the refs in their pockets". Pretty bold accusations. Why would those refs even entertain the idea of being on the side of those "rich, snobby Catholics?" Yes, I was at the game, both girls and boys games. I saw unsportsmanlike conduct on BOTH sides. One shouldn't throw stones when one lives in a glass house! I trust that you know what that means. Hoop Parent wrote on March 02, 2009 08:01 AM: First, Congrats to Gorman for winning state and Congrats to Palo for an AWESOME season. Why do we bad mouth these High School Coaches. Coach Rice and Coach Riley are great people and great coaches. I have seen others bash them and other good coaches in the valley as well. There are only a handful of good high school coaches here in town. I find it intersting that parents fault and blame the high school coach for everything. Most of these high school coaches are educators and fathers. When many of you trust your son's AAU/Club coach. If you doing a little digging you will find many of the AAU/Club coaches in town are thugs, drug dealers, perverts and pedophiles. Have you noticed mnay AUU/Club coaches don't coach high school? Beacause they can't pass the background checks! But yet we trust their opinions and we trust them with our kids. Many of your parents can't control your son at home and you expect for the high school coach to be perfect in controling 12 kids at once. I just want to thank the high school coaches for their time and dedication! Thank you for taking the time when many men Don't! Luke Walton wrote on March 02, 2009 07:50 AM: Centennial boys basketball should of won state. The game was rigged and the Gorman players know it. They paid the ref and I know from personal experience playing at Gorman fan wrote on March 02, 2009 01:14 AM: hey coach rice and coach riley are both great coaches. hey i cant remember a 1st yr. coach, coach there bball team to the state championship. great job coach riley. also for having your team respect other team mates and the refs. hey this is the first i seen a team hand the ball to the refs like palo did. great class. hey fan your right these 2 coaches loses key players and need to make adjustments for next yr. that will be interesting to see. coach rice has that freshman kid, but can't play like coleman and czar. then palo loses big guy nobriga. who will rebound now for palo. and theres dj. who will make those passes but not play out of control. yea palo has #20 (idk name) but can he handle pressure and play defense against bigger point guard in the state. i can see one thing he does hussle, which we see in loyd also. oh by the way why was he not on the floor palo coach he looked like he couldve handle the ball also. oh well. can't also wait like fan below for next yr. great season to all vegas teams. Read More Comments |
 makes the key play in the Class 4A boys state final, blocking a shot by D.J. Stennis of Palo Verde with five seconds left and the game tied 55-all Friday. Taylor Spencer (21) also helps out. Johnathan Loyd’s free throw gave Gorman a 56-55 victory.
){kind=link}