Dodge’s free throw completes Scots’ rally

SHORELINE

Ryan Dodge and his Shorecrest teammates celebrated at the Northgate Red Robin after surviving a defensive slugfest full of drama at rival Shorewood’s packed gym, Thursday Jan. 15.

With the game tied at 38, Dodge, the Scots’ 6-5 center, rebounded a missed 3-pointer by Richard Weinberg and as Dodge went up for a shot he drew a foul on Shorewood’s Micah Mitchell with one second left.

Shorewood called two timeouts to ice Dodge, Shorecrest’s leading scorer at 10.7 points per game, who needed to convert one free throw to cap the comeback for the Scots. Shorecrest fell behind by seven, 36-29 after a pair of free throws by the Thunderbirds’ Tomas Sanchez, who led all scorers with 16 points, with 3:42 left.

Dodge had a frustrating night at times, as he picked up four fouls in the second half, including two charges.

But that could all be forgotten with one tick left. But with the Shorecrest student section screaming at the top of its lungs, Dodge’s first free throw clanged off the back rim. The noise intensified on the next foul shot, as Dodge let it fly. Nothing but net.

Shorewood’s last-ditch heave glanced off the backboard and the Shorecrest fans rushed the court.

“I was praying,” Dodge said of the final shot. “I just didn’t think about the pressure. It’s definitely an epic game for me being a senior against the hometown rivals in their house.”

Dodge, who finished with 12 points, made the clinching free throw but Isaiah Clevenger scored all seven of his points in the fourth quarter to help keep the Scots in the game. After Dodge scored on putback with 1:57 to go, Shorewood turned the ball over and Clevenger buried a 3-pointer to tie it at 38 at the one minute mark.

“It was close,” Shorewood’s Sanchez said. “We had it won and we gave it up. We made too many dumb turnovers at the end.”

Shorewood lost its sixth game in a row but five of those losses have come by six points or less and the T-birds have had leads in the fourth quarter in all five games.

“We have a problem with finishing but you know what? All we can do is get better at finishing,” Shorewood coach Marv Morris said.

Shorewood turned the ball over 18 times while Shorecrest committed 15, in a game that was ragged much of the time.

Much of that had to do with how both the teams played defense and also because the players were perhaps overly excited because of the rivalry atmosphere, Morris said.

“I think what us close is that we played good (defense),” Sanchez said. “They had a 14-point first quarter and then we held them to 39. One of our best defensive games.”

Shorewood took the lead in the second quarter after trailing by as many as eight in the first quarter. Jonrock Daza came off the bench and sparked the T-birds with a steal and layup and Shorewood forced eight Shorecrest turnovers in the period.

Last year Sanchez scored 26 points at Shorecrest as Shorewood rallied from seven points down in the fourth quarter to win.

This time Shorecrest did the same thing on Shorewood’s home court, adding more spice to the rivalry. The teams split last year. They play again at Shorecrest on Feb. 11.

“Shorewood’s very well coached I knew you give them enough they’re capable of salting away a game,” Shorecrest coach Brian Fischer said. “I was afraid they were going to take the air out of the ball and not give us opportunities to come back. But I really credit the hustle of our guys to make some plays down the stretch.”

Shorewood shot 50 percent from the field (15-of-30) and 75 percent at the line (6-of-8). Shorecrest shot 34 percent from the field (15-of-44) and 67 percent at the line (6-of-9). The one statistical difference in scoring was in 3-pointers. Shorecrest made three (Jordan Diel had two in the first quarter and Clevenger had one in the fourth), while Shorewood made two (one by Daniel Pillay in the first and one by Mitchell in the second).

Shorewood guard Jerry Smallwood, a starter, suffered an Achilles tendon injury in the first quarter, did not return, and could be out for a long time, Morris said.