Jonathan Alder’s Jackson Izzard (5) goes up for a basket Saturday afternoon against Columbus DeSales. The Pioneers fell to the Stallions, 42-38, during the Division II district championship contest. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
It has often been said that history repeats itself.
Jonathan Alder’s boys basketball team, however, wishes it wouldn’t.
For the second consecutive season, the Pioneers fell to Columbus DeSales, 42-38, during the Division II district championship game.
The contest, which was held on Alder’s home court Saturday afternoon, ended the No. 1-seeded Pioneers’ season with a 20-1 mark.
Second-seeded DeSales extended its record to 16-7 in advancing to the regional semifinals.
Tyler Begin revved up JA’s offense during the initial quarter.
He tickled the twine for a trio of trifectas as Alder jumped out to an 11-2 lead.
The Stallions had trouble getting into an offensive flow to start the battle.
JA played lockdown man-to-man defense that prevented DeSales from finding lanes to the bucket.
Gavin Heimlich, Alder’s 6-9 post player, blocked a shot by Desmond Watson with slightly more than two minutes left in the stanza.
The Pioneers turned the ball over on the other end of the floor.
Watson then scored to cut the Stallions’ deficit to 11-4.
Alder milked the clock for a bit before Joey Walker tallied a bucket with 53 seconds to play.
Watson rebounded his own miss right before the horn.
His stickback pulled DeSales to within 13-6 by the end of the opening set.
Jackson Izzard performed a perfect drive and dish to Payton Heiss to open the ensuing period.
Izzard went hard to the lane and then flipped the ball out to Heiss.
His trifecta pushed the Pioneers out to a 16-6 margin.
DeSales began to change the game to more up-tempo.
The Stallions went on an 8-0 run, marked by a pair of three-balls from Austin Mann.
His second trifecta whittled JA’s lead to 16-14 with four minutes left until the half.
Heimlich scored on an offensive rebound to push Alder to an 18-14 lead.
Mann, however, was deadly on his third trey, pulling DeSales to within 18-17.
Izzard was fouled on a three-point attempt.
He sank two of his trio of charity offerings for a 20-17 Pioneer lead.
Attiove Schuler got a nice bounce on a trifecta that tied the contest at 20-all by the turn.
Neither team asked nor gave any quarter during the third stanza.
Watson gave DeSales a 22-20 lead, but Walker answered with a tying basket.
Both teams came up with empty possessions over the next several minutes.
Izzard flipped the ball to Grant Welsch.
His three-ball returned a 25-22 edge to the Pioneers.
Heimlich and Walker thwarted a pair of Stallion shots with blocks.
Watson, though, drew Walker’s third foul when he scored off the glass.
He missed the charity toss, but JA’s lead now stood at a razor-thin 25-24.
Watson came up with a steal with less than a minute to play in the quarter.
His ensuing dunk sent DeSales into the final quarter with a 26-25 edge.
The lead changed hands a few times during the early portion of the fourth period.
Izzard’s traditional three-point play pushed Alder out to a 30-28 lead.
Watson sank two charity tosses and Obed Achevani’s stickback gave the Stallions a 32-30 lead.
Achevani later hit a free throw for a 33-30 DeSales margin.
JA had several good looks at the basket during the next couple of minutes.
Those offerings, however, didn’t find the mark.
Alder’s cause was later damaged when it lost the 6-6 Walker – who had been a strong defensive presence – to his fifth foul.
The timer neared the three-minute mark when Welsch drilled a three-ball that tied the score at 33-all.
Watson scored at the 2:06 mark to break the stalemate.
Izzard went hard to the hoop, scored and drew a foul.
His charity toss with 1:34 left gave JA a 36-35 edge.
Achevani followed suit with his own three-point play.
He scored on an offensive rebound and was fouled with 59.8 ticks left.
His free throw returned a 38-36 margin to the Stallions.
Alder committed a couple of critical turnovers during the game’s waning seconds.
The Pioneers then had to foul to stop the clock.
A pair of free throws by Watson padded DeSales’ lead at 40-36 with 25.5 seconds to play.
Alder missed a basket on its next possession.
Achevani then sealed the deal for a 42-36 lead on a basket with 8.2 seconds to play.
Izzard ended the game and his JA hoops career with a consolation dunk before the buzzer.
“This was a game between two very good teams,” said JA coach Zach Ross. “Both teams played well, but DeSales just came up with a couple more plays than we did at the end.
“We, however, played a very gritty game.”
Alder outshot the Stallions, 44% to 35%.
Ross, however, said rebounding was the key to the contest.
“DeSales got a number of offensive rebounds (15) that gave them extra opportunities at the basket,” he said.
DeSales
Watson 7-6-20, Achevani 3-4-10, Mann 3-0-9, Schuler 1-0-3, Garrick 0-0-0, Sebatini 0-0-0, Walker 0-0-0, Sanchez 0-0-0. Totals 14-10-42.
Three-point goals: Mann 3, Schuler 1.
Jonathan Alder
Izzard 3-6-12, Begin 3-0-9, Welsch 2-0-6, Walker 2-0-4, Heimlich 2-0-4, Heiss 1-0-3, Headings 0-0-0. Totals 13-6-38.
Three-point goals: Begin 3, Welsch 2, Heiss 1.