Heartbreaker on the Hilltop

 

Source: Max Chan ’16

 

With the Irish trailing 61-60, a crowd of 5,000 counting down “Five, four, three, . . .” and the St. Ignatius Wildcats hustling back on defense, senior forward Jamar Williams-Sheppard grabbed the ricochet off of a Wildcat miss and handed the ball to junior forward Alfred Hollins. Hollins pushed the ball up the floor knowing that a loss would give SI another Bruce-Mahoney victory, and was met on the offensive end by four Wildcat defenders. Attempting to pull up for a game-winning 15-footer, Hollins was stripped of the ball and time expired, handing SI yet another victory. In a controversial play in which Hollins was possibly fouled, Sacred Heart Cathedral’s hope for a deciding baseball game fell.

While the cold weather tortured San Franciscans on a busy Tuesday, competition was hot inside the University of San Francisco’s War Memorial Gymnasium as the varsity men and women of Sacred Heart Cathedral and St. Ignatius faced off in the annual Bruce-Mahoney basketball game. With the trophy on the line, both schools, on the court and in the stands, were extra-spirited. Chants such as the Irish “I-R-I-R-I” and Wildcat “We Are SI” were exchanged all night, crescendoing throughout the women’s 13-point triumph and reaching their peak during the final seconds of the men’s competition.

Source: Max Chan ’16

In the final minute, Hollins was fouled on a three-point attempt, sending him to the line for three free throws. After sinking the first two, a lane violation by Hollins himself kept the Wildcats one-point in advantage and silenced the cheers of the Irish crowd. Though Hollins came off the bench with a game high 30 points, his last effort fell a tad short. The highlight of the night was a hustle play that he began by knocking the ball to a teammate, running the floor, and finishing with a thunderous left-handed slam. On a high note, junior Ilmar’l Thomas led the Irish women to a dominant 56-43 win with 29 points. Though the scores showed a loss, SHC only lost the trophy by two points(the football game ended 14-13), and will again be hungry for it next year.