Middletown boys, minus two starters in overtime, knock off Saints 60-57 at St. Helena
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ST. HELENA >> Trailing by 14 points at halftime and nine midway through the fourth quarter, and with starters Bodhi Moore and Anthony Bowerman fouling out in the fourth quarter, the Middletown Mustangs had every reason not to win Friday night against the St. Helena Saints during a North Central League I playoff game featuring the league’s co-champions.
They did anyway, 60-57 in overtime, to capture the league’s top seed headed into the North Coast Section at-large and seeding meeting Sunday when both teams will find out who, when and where – and what division – they’re playing in next week when the sectional playoffs open.
“What a game!” Middletown head coach Jake Diehl said. “Both teams fought so hard. Every player laid it all out there.”
It was the fourth meeting of the season between two teams that split their league meetings. St. Helena also won earlier in the season during tournament play in St. Helena. It was Middletown’s first win in three tries on the Saints’ home floor, and it couldn’t have been much sweeter for Diehl, who was celebrating as much as his players once the final seconds ticked off the clock in overtime.
Tied 53-53 at the end of regulation, Middletown (21-6) outscored St. Helena 7-4 in the overtime period without either Moore, its leading scorer on the season, or Bowerman, another senior mainstay. Sophomore guard Harrison Brown scored four points in the extra period, junior Jasiah Pike sank two critical free throws to seal the victory late in the overtime, and junior Jon Hawkins scored the final of his 29 points at the free-throw line, capping another huge performance – 14 rebounds, five blocks, four steals and an 11-for-19 night at the line.
“We overcame so much adversity in that game,” Diehl said. “The fellas locked in toward the end of the game and executed our gameplan to precision.”
Early on, but especially in the second quarter, it was almost all St. Helena led 14-12 after one quarter and 30-16 at halftime after limiting the Mustangs to just four second-quarter points. Middletown rallied with a 37-23 second half, including a 16-7 fourth quarter.
Middletown did not take its first lead in the game until late in the fourth quarter.
“Our underclassman stepped up hugely,” Diehl said. “In fact, the OT was a glimpse of next year’s team. There were two freshmen, two sophomores and two juniors holding it down. At one point I had both freshman and Harrison (in with Jon and Jasiah down low guarding the paint.”
Brown finished with 12 points and four steals in the win, Moore had nine points and four steals, and Bowerman added six points and 10 rebounds.
“Being proud of this team and their efforts is an understatement,” Diehl said as the Mustangs improved to 21-6 on the season against the 22-4 Saints.
GAME NOTES: With 21 wins, the Mustangs are within two victories of matching the school-record 23 wins by the 2005-06 boys team (23-6). Before this season, the last Middletown boys team to reach 20 wins was the 2021-22 squad (20-4).
