WINDSOR -This is what we’ve come to expect from the best boys basketball rivalry the CCC has had over the last decade.
A great comeback by Windsor in the third quarter tied the game with one quarter to play. The lead changed hands six times in the final quarter. The last time it did, it came on a shot by East Catholic’s Joey Montalvo.
Mahki Henderson assisted on Montalvo’s game-winning layup with eight seconds left as East Catholic, No. 5 in the GametimeCT Top 10 poll, stunned No. 2 and previously undefeated Windsor 75-74 before a sellout crowd Friday at Windsor High.
The host Warriors missed a long 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
“It’s a big deal. We knew it was going to come down to this,” said Montalvo, a senior. “Great outcome, I’m glad we got the road win.”
East Catholic coach Luke Reilly called the win “a big step forward for us today” in a “state tournament-style week.”
The Eagles (15-3) lost at home Monday to East Hartford, then were trailing Bishop Hendricken (R.I.) by double digits on the road Wednesday. They came back to win that game in overtime on Bishop Hendricken’s senior night.
Then East Catholic did the same thing on Windsor’s senior night.
“We knew that the stakes were high because there were three teams that could beat us,” Reilly said. “This team is tough. This team knows how to compete.”
East Catholic built a 16-point lead late in the second quarter, and led by 13 at halftime (41-28).
Windsor (16-1) scored 30 points in the third quarter to tie the score at 58.
Alex Weaver (22 points) gave Windsor a 71-70 lead with 1:45 left, but the sophomore point guard fouled out 12 seconds later. Still, Windsor hung in. And after Montalvo missed a 3-pointer trailing 74-73, the Warriors had a chance to put the game away from the free throw line.
But Clinton Toomer and Charlie Lewis missed two free throws each. A tie-up after the last miss gave possession to East Catholic with 17.9 seconds left.
The Eagles’ Sincere Folk (18 points, 11 assists), who hit the basket to pull East Catholic within 1, drew three defenders. He passed to Henderson, who found Montalvo.
“Coach just wanted us to go immediately to give us a chance for an offensive rebound,” Folk said. “I tried to get it past half court as quickly as possible, then threw it over to (Henderson).
Montalvo pump-faked near the basket and two Windsor defenders flew by him. He then laid it in for the game-winner.
“I missed the big 3 before it. I’m glad I got it back,” Montalvo said. “Pump faking, we practice every day. Glad I got it to go.”
Said Folk: “Coach preaches Eyebrows, which is a pump fake. So Joey pump-faked, got two guys in the air and finished the bucket to give us the win.”
Windsor coach Ken Smith knew where the game was lost.
“If we learn to make our free throws, we wouldn’t be in that position,” Smith said. “Very disappointing, especially because that’s the first thing we practice every day.”
Jamaul Padilla finished with a game-high 31 points for East Catholic. His superb play in the first half was the main reason why the Eagles were able to establish such a big lead.
Windsor has a quick turnaround, playing Burke (Mass.) at Springfield Central on Saturday afternoon.
Player of the Game
Joey Montalvo, East Catholic: Hit the deciding layup with eight seconds left that gave East Catholic the 75-74 victory.
Quotable
“Everybody is going to give us their best game, and that was their best game today. But we still could’ve won if we hit our free throws.”
– Windsor coach Ken Smith.
This article originally published at Joey Montalvo’s late basket lifts No. 5 East Catholic to stunning win over No. 2 Windsor.