SHILLINGTON >> There will be a new PIAA 3A champion this year. Saturday afternoon at Governor Mifflin Intermediate School, the defending champion Devon Prep Tide boys basketball team dropped a heartbreaking 64-63, overtime loss to Trinity in the quarterfinal round of the PIAA 3A playoffs.
Trinity will now play West Catholic Tuesday at a time and place to be determined while the Tide’s reign atop the 3A bracket is over.
The game was a thrilling contest for the entire 36 minutes as after the first period, no team had more than a five point lead. The Tide had a chance to win the game with three seconds left in regulation but Jacen Holloway missed both free throws and the regulation period ended in a 60-60 tie.
Trinity scored the winning basket with 13 seconds left in overtime when big 6-foot-9, Mike Bednostin scored in the low post to give the Shamrocks (25-3) a 64-63 lead.
Bednostin had a game high 19 points to go along with 14 rebounds as he had his way under the glass with the smaller Tide front men. After the basket, Devon Prep called time out with 7.1 seconds to play to set up the last play.
Ty Mishock brought the ball in and weaved to his left and attempted to hand the ball off but the ball was bobbled and the Trinity players celebrated wild their hard a check win.
We wanted to get something with Ty going downhill and we got it,” Devon Prep coach Jason Fisher said. “We had Tyler coming from the corner and he may have had Jacen too but the handoff was bobbled and we lost it. It was a bad time to bobble the ball but that is basketball.
“We told the kids they were not losers today. Trinity just scored one more points than we did. It really hurts right now but they will look back on this time and see all the good things they did today and in their time at Devon Prep.”
The contest was definitely a back and forth affair with each team trading blows. Trinity had a 49-45 lead at the end of three periods but the Tide fought back to outscore the Shamrocks 15-11 in the fourth period to make it a 60-60 game at the end of regulation.
The Tide (13-13) hit 13 three-balls for the game but missed two them in the final minute of regulation. Those two misses and a six for 12 night from the free throw line were big reasons for the one point loss although the Tide shot 22 for 47 from the field for the game.
“It certainly was back and forth,” Trinity coach Larry Kostelac said. “And we had our assistants on them for a while because we felt we would see them sometime in the state playoffs. It was a game that if we played them 100 times the outcome would be 50-50.
“They love to shoot the three-ball and they may be the best shooting team I have seen in a long time. They are very well coached and we guessed right on the last play and i just think we were the lucky ones today.”
The Tide spread the floor in the overtime period with Mishock dribbling out near half court and the Shamrock defenders staying put. Devon Prep took a 62-60 lead when Mishock hit two free throws after getting fouled on a dribble drive.
But Trinity came right back on a Adelphie Cisse basket to tie the game 62-62 with 2:05 left in the overtime period. Devon Prep again held the ball and Mishock was fouled again but this time he hit one of two from the line for a 63-62 Tide lead.
The Tide put four players in double figures for the game with Lucas Orchard leading the Tide with 14 points.
Then Trinity brought the ball up the floor and Bednostin did his thing in the low post where he was so effective all game. The Tide then called time out with 7.1 seconds to play before the turnover that decided the game and the Shamrocks were the team that was moving on to the 3A semifinals.
“We are all friends and we play for each other,” Bednostin said. “WE all like each other and maybe we wanted it a little more than them at the end of the game. I got the ball in the low post where I wanted it and I knew I had to do something to get this win.”
Trinity 64, Devon Prep 63, overtime
TRINITY (64) Manley 1 0-0 2, Brown 3 0-0 8, Schlager 2 6-7 10, Weiand 4 0-0 12, Wisse 6 0-0 13, Bednostin 9 1-2 19, Balaban 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 7-9 64.
DEVON PREP (63) Conlon 3 0-0 7, Doyle 4 1-2 12, Holloway 4 1-4 10, Mishock 3 3-4 12, L.Orchard 5 1-2 14, Z.Orchard 1 0-0 2, Scarpulla 2 0-0 6, Harrar 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 6-12 63.
Trinity 23 8 18 11 4-64
Devon Prep 14 16 15 15 3-63
3-point goals: Brown 2, Weiand 4, Cisse, Conlon, Doyle 3, Holloway, Mishock 3, L.Orchard 3, Scarpulla 2.
