Top Memory #2 Boys Basketball Stuns South During 14-0 Run
#2 Boys Basketball Stuns South During 14-0 Run
The 2014-15 Louisville Leopards Boys Varsity Basketball season was an unforgettable one. Louisville would finish a perfect 14-0 in league play for just the second time in school history en rout to their first NBC Title sine 2010.
During their perfect run there were many great memories, but one rises above the rest. On January 30, 2015 the Battle for the NBC was played when the Canton South Wildcats came to play the Louisville Leopards.
Louisville won the first clash at Canton South 78-74 in overtime on December 16. In that game, Drew Noble helped force a turnover on an inbound allowing Joe Crank to bang home a three-pointer with 8.8 seconds left to give the Leopards a 65-63 lead. The Wildcats would tie the game on the other end, but Louisville would prevail in the extra period.
Crank was full of clutch magic the entire season. He also made a game-tying three-pointer at Alliance to force overtime. Louisville also won that game by the same score of 78-74. This proved to be the only other close victory through the first half of the NBC schedule.
The Leopards were 9-0 in the league and the Wildcats took an 8-1 conference record into the game with their only loss coming against Louisville. Canton South took a commanding 35-24 lead at the break, but Louisville started the second half on a 14-2 run and knotted the game at 43-all heading into the fourth.
After more back-and-forth action the Wildcats pulled ahead 58-51 with 1:40 left. On the ensuing possession, Jake Pukys hit home a three-pointer from the corner to cut the deficit to 58-54. Next on defense, Brody Hahn poked the ball way from the Canton South defender and it found the hands of Crank who laid it in the hole to make it 58-56.
Hahn stole the ball away again on the next Wildcat possession to give the ball back to the Leopards. Louisville got two huge offensive rebounds before Blake Hoover scored on a putback to tie the game at 58-58.
The Leopards fouled the Wildcats in the backcourt forcing an inbound on the left sideline. Crank lunged after the incoming pass-in and a pile-up ensued. Hoover snagged the ball and Head Coach Tom Siegfried called timeout giving the ball back to Louisville with 9.8 seconds left.
The Wildcats mistakenly fouled the Leopards twice to put them in the bonus with one tick left. Much to the delight of the crowd, Pukys made the first freebie to give Louisville the lead at 59-58. After an intentional miss, Canton South threw up a full court shot that missed and the Student Section charged the court in pandemonium.
Three Weeks later, Louisville clinched the NBC outright with a hard fought 62-55 win at Marlington. On February 23, the Leopards completed a 14-0 run with an 86-72 home win over the Alliance Aviators. In that night, LHS fans witnessed on one of the greatest individual performances in team history. Blake Hoover racked home 40 points and brought down 21 rebounds during the win. He is only the third known Leopards player to reach the 40-point mark with Bart Keiser holding the record with 49 points in game during the 1970-71 season.
Other signature victories in the season came against Perry in overtime at the Mayor’s Cup Classic in Massillon, a win at Lake in the season finale, and a win over New Philadelphia in the Sectional Semifinals. But none of these wins were as meaningful or as important as the 59-58 victory over South though.
Full Article: Boys Basketball Stuns Wildcats, Now In Complete Command
Don’t forget to Subscribe to Our Posts for Free
Order Individual Player Highlight Video