The so-called Paul VI-O’Connell rivalry has not been much at all the previous six seasons. The Panthers have dominated the Knights, while continuing to build themselves into an area boys basketball powerhouse and even a nationally-recognized elite program.
But O’Connell is hardly a stranger to national success as well. This year the Knights have more than stood up to the challenge, turning themselves into one of the biggest surprises in Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) play by consistently playing the top teams tough.
On Monday, the Knights prevailed over the Panthers in a crazy, fun kind of way. Holding off PVI’s elite guard Dug McDaniel as he drove for the tying layup with less than three seconds left. It clinched a 54-52 win and a sweep of the two-game regular-season series.
Here is McDaniel’s final unsuccessful drive to basket w 3 seconds left as OConnell holds on to win 54-52 and sweep @PVIHoops @novahoopsCom pic.twitter.com/eaoGxEHp1v — paulbergeron3 (@PaulBergeron3) February 21, 2022
The win gives Nova Nineteen’s sixth-ranked O’Connell (16-11) plenty of momentum entering Saturday’s first-round tournament game with Gonzaga.
Top-ranked Paul VI (20-4) entered Monday having already clinched the conference’s No. 1 seed, but now it might have to look closely at the brackets to see where O’Connell sits.
“It’s crazy, before this year, we hadn’t beaten them in six years,” Knights senior guard Paul Lewis said after scoring a game-high 27 points and watching sophomore teammate Delamortay Jones slide over to halt the Michigan-signee McDaniel on his late lay-up attempt.
“We didn’t want to try to have a high-scoring game with them,” Lewis said. “We wanted to make it about getting stops. Beating Paul VI is tough to do, but we listened to our coaches and we followed the scout plan.
“[McDaniel] is a great player. He did some things tonight, like dribbling the ball between his legs on one fast-break layup. I had to go up during the game to him and give him his respect.”
While the game had no bearing on the conference standings, Knights coach Joe Wootten said afterward that the schools’ programs got together and made sure a second meeting would be scheduled.
“It’s a natural rivalry,” he said. “This is a game for the communities. Both teams could have gone out there at 0-16 and it still would have been as hard-fought as you saw tonight.”
The fans sure enjoyed it, offering friendly, verbal taunts as the contest swung back and forth. There were five ties and 13 lead changes. The players, meanwhile, often saluted the opposing bleachers after hitting clutch baskets.
“It’s all part of the fun,” said O’Connell’s Christian May, a PVI transfer two years ago. He finished with nine points. “I’m glad [Lewis] could do it on Senior Night. He showed why I think he’s the best point guard in our conference.”
A Lewis bucket with 6:21 to play created the biggest margin of the game – a 48-40 O’Connell advantage.
But McDaniel spectacularly led his team back quickly, scoring the next seven points. He finished with 24 points, including five three-pointers.
Wootten said Lewis found his confidence a few weeks ago after perhaps putting too much pressure on himself early in the year and he struggled.
“He was doing great with a 7-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, [but I supported him offensively by] telling him that he’s got to take shots when they are open,” Wootten said.
Lewis hit four three-pointers on the night and can take that with him Saturday vs. Gonzaga, a team the Knights split with during the regular season.
–Paul Bergeron
@PaulBergeron3