Sunday, March 19, 2000
Purcell advances to state
Cavaliers earn first trip since '85
BY CAREY HOFFMAN
Enquirer contributor
Hewitt Cooper rebounds.
(Tony Jones photo)
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DAYTON, Ohio — The referee blew his whistle, then hesitated for a moment. Two basketball teams and 7,500 spectators held their breath in anticipation.
“I didn't know what he'd call,” Purcell Marian's Hewitt Cooper said. “I knew the true call, but I didn't know what he'd call. I'm so glad he made the honest call.”
The call was a charge on Dayton Christian star Romain Sato, fouling out perhaps the best player in the state and letting Purcell continue its pursuit of a state title.
The Cavaliers crippled Dayton Christian's offense by getting Sato in foul trouble, paving the way for a 58-45 victory in the Division II regional title game Saturday at University of Dayton Arena.
Purcell (23-3) advanced to the state tournament for the first time since 1985, when the Cavaliers won the state title. This time, Purcell meets Cambridge in the Division II state semifinals Thursday at 11 a.m. at Ohio State's Schottenstein Center.
Dayton Christian (24-1) was ranked No. 2 in Ohio Division II.
Sato's final foul came with 6:04 left in the game and Purcell leading 42-37. On an inbounds play, the 6-4 Sato tried to cut from the top of the key towards the basket for a lob. Purcell knew what was coming, and point guard Joe Fullman stepped in for the charge.
“He just ran right into me,” Fullman said. “I was waiting for it.”
When he did, Fullman jumped into a teammate's hug with his arms extended skyward. “We knew it was his fifth foul and we knew as he goes, so goes their team,” Fullman said.
Sato fouled out just six possessions into the fourth quarter.
It took a few minutes, but Purcell finally put together a 5-0 run with less than three minutes remaining to take control at 53-42.
“I'm proud of the way our kids stepped up without (Sato),” Dayton Christian coach Dave Jackson said. “We haven't played for that extended period of time without him.”
Jaime Cooper led Purcell with 24 points. Keith Jackson scored 14, grabbed seven rebounds and intimidated with his defense, where he had two blocks and three steals. Fullman and Brandon Salamone brought defense and ball-handling, while Purcell, which dominated the rebounding battle 34-22, got rebounding help from the bench.
But Hewitt Cooper was exceptional. Not normally a big scorer, the 6-1 senior came up with 13 points, grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and had three steals, all while drawing the assignment of guarding Sato.
“They didn't surprise me,” Sato, a Xavier University recruit, said of Purcell's defense. “We worked on that in practice, but this is the first time a game like this has happened to me.”
Purcell coach Mike Gergen, who has worked to keep his team relaxed all season, was especially pleased with how Purcell responded. He said he gave the shortest pre-game talk he had all season, simply writing on the blackboard, "Guys, play hard and believe.'
“This team plays with tremendous heart,” Gergen said.
“We've worked so hard since summer,” Fullman said. “This is one of the best feelings I've ever had.”
Tickets for Purcell's state semifinal game will be sold at the school Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
DAYTON CHRISTIAN (45) - Walder 2-9 2-3 6, Dotte 3-4 0-2 6, Sato 3-8 3-5 10, Deister 3-7 0-0 8, Mitchell 2-4 4-4 8, Boykin 0-1 0-0 0, Green 0-0 0-0 0, Grandgirard 0-4 0-0 0, Wilcox 2-2 1-3 5, Longaneck er 1-1 0-0 2, Jackson 0-1 0-0 0, Fultz 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 16-42 10-17 45.
PURCELL MARIAN (58) - J. Cooper 11-15 2-3 24, H. Cooper 5-8 2-2 13, Jackson 4-14 6-7 14, Salamone 1-7 1-2 3, Fullman 1-1 0-0 2, Sanders 0-0 0-0 0, Richardson 0-0 0-0 0, Fulks 0-1 0-0 0, Reid 0-0 0- 0 0, Swann 0-0 2-4 2. Totals: 22-46 13-18 58.
Dayton Christian ....... 15 7 13 10-45
Purcell Marian ....... 17 12 9 20-58
3-pointers: DC 3-12 (Sato 1-3, Deister 2-6, Boykin 0-1, Grandgirard 0-1, Fultz 0-1), PM 1-7 (J. Cooper 0-1, H. Cooper 1-2, Jackson 0-1, Salamone 0-3). Rebounds: DC 22 (Dotte 7), PM 34 (H. Cooper 9). Assists: DC 10 (Deister 3), PM 8 (Fullman 3). Attendance: 7,500. Records: DC 24-1, PM 23-3.
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