By Joseph Staszewski
Michael Fields wasn’t interested in his team’s fight. St. Francis Prep twice rallied to send its game against Bishop Ford into overtime, but ultimately couldn’t convert key hoops down the stretch.
The Terriers were forced to stomach a disappointing 55-52 road loss to Bishop Ford in non-league boys’ basketball Friday night. Fields scored 12 points and Shane Herrity and Brian Haggerty dropped in 10 a piece. It wasn’t enough.
“We always want the W,” Fields said. “It’s harder to lose a game like this. If we would have made shot’s, it wouldn’t have gotten this close.”
He and the St. Francis Prep coach felt their jump shooting reliant club had a poor shooting night, especially the usually sharp, Herrity said. Terriers Coach Tim Leary noted that his team got to the free throw line just twice all game.
Instead, they watched 6-foot-5 Falcons center Josh Blasgrave, who has 22 points, score seven straight points in overtime, including a straight-on three-pointer. The spurt put Ford up 52-47 with 41 seconds left. Missed Falcons free throws opened the door late, but Alex Amenta’s three-pointer was off the mark at the buzzer.
“The kid Shane doesn’t miss those shots, usually,” Leary said. “We missed layups. We had a good chance to win the game.”
St. Francis Prep used a 6-0 fourth quarter run to pull with in 41-41 with 2:53 left in regulation. It forced the game into overtime on a Herrity baseline layup with 4.6 seconds left to tie the score at 45-45. The Terriers felt they had new life.
“It was a brand new game,” Fields said. “I honestly think we played harder than them. They just made more shots, hence they won the game.”
Leary feels the schedule hasn’t helped his club, which hoped to add guard Nick Colack. The Terriers, unlike years past, have already played four CHSAA Class AA leagues games in December and have won just one. In past years they would have had more non-league games under their belt. It’s limited the time they have had to come together and improve before entering league play.
“We’ve kind of thrown them into the fire,” Leary said. “I think we’ve shown we can compete.”
