Sports

‘Redemption’ the theme as Fontbonne beats Kearney for title

The third time’s the charm for coach Steve Oliver and Fontbonne Hall, as he witnessed his squad transform into the Redeem Team.

Fontbonne Hall defeated Bishop Kearney, 39-38, in the CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Division II girls basketball championship Saturday night at Christ the King HS in Middle Village.

Oliver erased his own personal demons after losing the same game the past two seasons and junior Cindy Henderson had some amends of her own to make.

With 2:06 left in the fourth quarter, and her team down 37-35, Henderson was called for a technical foul as a result of her actions during a scrum for a loose ball. This would give Kearney two foul shots and then possession of the ball.

Henderson headed to the bench, thinking that she just not only cost her team the game, but also the championship.

“I felt like, if we were going to lose, it was all going to be my fault,” she said.

But Kearney failed to capitalize on the opportunity Henderson had given it. Christina Heyer (12 points) made one of two free throws, extending the lead to 38-35 and the Tigers could not get anything going offensively. Now Oliver had a decision to make: Would he put Henderson back into the game, knowing her emotions were already high?

“We’ve been a big believer of after you get yourself down, and your head is hanging, you have to try to redeem yourself on the next play,” Oliver said.

So he inserted her back into the game with 1:18 left to play, a move that would pay dividends. The Bonnies would have possession of the ball, down 38-36, and Henderson had her opportunity with less than 10 seconds remaining.

She drove into the lane, hitting the shot despite getting fouled hard. The same player, who was on the bench wondering if she had cost her team the championship minutes before, erased her mistake and tied the game at 38.

“I had to get in there and play my [butt] off,” Henderson said. “I needed to redeem myself for that technical.”

With the score tied and looking to put her team up one, Henderson (13 points) could not complete the three-point play. But her teammate Michele Moran was right there to pick her up.

With the ball coming off the rim, Moran went up hard for the rebound, snagged it and drew a foul with 5.1 seconds left. Moran would sink the first foul shot, putting her team up 39-38.

“I was so nervous, I was literally shaking,” Moran said. “I just told myself to stop thinking about it, and just go make the free throw.”

After missing the second, Moran (two points) stuck with the team mantra of not getting their heads down. Bishop Kearney inbounded the ball with 3.8 seconds left and then attempted a football pass down to the other side, but Moran was right there to intercept it at half court, sealing the victory for her team, and delivering the elusive championship to Oliver. Fontbonne next takes on St. Vincent Ferrer 6:15 p.m. Monday in the CHSAA Class B city quarterfinals.

“After that technical,” Oliver laughed, “I have to be honest, I put my chin down a little bit. Me of all people, who stressed the ‘redemption’ concept, but my girls picked me up.”

Fontbonne (15-5) defeated a Bishop Kearney team that won the regular-season crown due to a tiebreaker based on common opponent. The two rivals split their regular season meeting. This didn’t sit well with the Bonnies, and ultimately fueled the team even more to get this victory. Oliver also credited the play of forward Siobhan Sammon, who played with a 101 fever, in the paint.

“We thought we deserved the regular-season crown, so this made us want to beat them even more,” Henderson said. “They weren’t coming in here and taking our championship.”

Bishop Kearney (14-11) still has basketball left to play, though, with a matchup on Monday against St. Catharine in the city quarterfinals. Despite the tough loss, Kearney coach Rocco Sellitto instilled one point.

“Our season’s not over yet,” he said.