VASJ vs. University boys basketball: Late free throws push Vikings to 68-65 victory

Jan. 26—Jeremiah Martin didn't have a strong fourth quarter from the foul line for VASJ against University on Jan. 26. He was 0-for-4 when he and his third trip of the quarter to the stripe and the Vikings up one with four seconds left.

He made both to push the Vikings ahead by three with four seconds left. The Preppers had a look at the buzzer, but their shot was long and VASJ took the win, 68-65.

The Vikings won their sixth in a row and improved to 9-5 while University fell to 5-9.

VASJ took an early lead, but the Vikings couldn't carry the momentum into the second quarter. They fell behind by nine with under two minutes left.

They had some quick buckets to end the half that cut the deficit back to five. Both teams came out strong in the third but the Preppers held the lead as the game entered the fourth.

Coach Ashen Ward made sure the Vikings stuck to the game plan and worked to wear down the uptempo Preppers. The Vikings did just that and went on a 9-2 run to open the fourth.

PHOTOS: University vs. VASJ boys basketball, Jan. 26, 2024

"We just needed to stay the course," Ward said. "I thought that we started the game well, we missed a lot of easy shots and free throws. The score didn't really reflect the way the game was going. We knew that all the guys could contribute."

The Vikings carved into the deficit with looks from the paint with an off night from beyond the arc. Antonio Brown was able to capitalize.

He finished with a game-high 26 points and eight rebounds for the Vikings.

Brown said with the uptempo and trap defense University ran, he was going to have mismatches on the inside.

"It didn't really affect my game too much," Brown said. "We run a lot at practice to be ready for games like this. My teammates recognize the mismatches and we were able to find ways to take advantage of it all game."

Martin also had a strong night scoring with 15 points to go along with four assists. A pair of his coast-to-coast layups proved to be crucial in the Vikings' comeback victory.

The assist leader for VASJ, Martin knew that the game was in his hands at the free-throw line.

While he had a tough night from the stripe, he remained confident.

"I'm still confident in myself and my ability at the line," Martin said. "My coaches and teammates have my back and that really helped me late in the game."

Quandell Wright also finished in double figures with 10 points, eight in the second half.

The Vikings had an up-and-down start to the season but have found their stride with six straight wins. Ward knew that going into the season, he and the players both needed time to find their comfort zones.

He sees the team finding itself and ready to tackle the remainder of the season the same way they did the postseason a year ago.

"The start of the season is always a little rocky," Ward said. "Now it's just about buying in. We're all of one accord, we're a unit and you can see it when we're playing out there. If someone makes a mistake, everyone is positive from the guys on the floor to the bench and even the guys in the stands."

University ran through its sets quickly and found an early rhythm from beyond the arc. The Preppers finished 10-for-20 from deep but turned to the drive when they needed to stay with the Vikings.

Justin Belcher led the way with 21 points while Alec Congdon added 18 with four 3s.

Coach Sean McDonnell has seen the team make strides back into the form they started the season with where the Preppers won four straight. But he knows they still need a few more steps to get back to that level.

"We had two weeks off with the snow and we thought we had some really good practices," McDonnell said. "We thought we've been able to re-center and believe in what we're committed to and how we play. I was confident we would demonstrate that and we did in moments. But credit to VASJ who made a few more plays at the end to take the win."

Johnny Diaz was the third Prepper in double figures with 11 points and three threes.

Both teams have quick turnarounds from the contest. VASJ aims to its streak to seven when it hosts Lake Catholic on Jan. 27. University hits the road to Valley Forge the same day.

THE SCORE

VASJ 68, University 65