MILLTOWN — Saint Mark’s and Appoquinimink put on the game of the tournament thus far in the DIAA boys basketball postseason, with the Spartans moving on after a 64-61 double-overtime thriller on Feb. 29. The Spartans, the sixth seed, advance to meet No. 3 Middletown on the road Saturday at 1 p.m.
After the first quarter ended in an 11-11 tie, the 11th-seeded Jaguars dialed long distance to grab the lead in the second. Chase Wright put the Spartans on top with the first field goal of the second, but Appo went on a 13-2 run over the next six minutes to open up a 24-15 lead. Nine of those points came on a trio of three-pointers. Tariq Warner cut the deficit to six with a triple of his own with a minute and a half left in the second.
After struggling with shooting and ball security in the first half, a different Spartans team emerged after the intermission. Alassan N’Diaye got them started with a third-chance bucket, and Warner followed with his second three-pointer. Christian Taylor tied the game at 26 with an old-fashioned three-point play with 6:25 to go in the third, and Wright gave Saint Mark’s its first lead since the opening minute of the second quarter with a steal and transition layup.
The Spartans scored 26 points in the third, building their biggest lead at seven after a three-pointer by N’Diaye, but the Jags would not go away. Brandon Winnington helped them stay close with six points in the quarter, and a three by Daniel Harvey got them to within a point at 41-40 late. But Warner closed out the third with another three for the Spartans.
Warner hit a mid-range jumper to put Saint Mark’s on top by six in the opening minute of the fourth, and the large number of Spartans students in the end zone bleachers were going crazy. But Appoquinimink fought back. The Jaguars tied the game with a 6-0 run, and it was nip and tuck the rest of the way.
The lead changed hands several times, with Harvey putting the Jags on top, 56-54, with 1:05 to go. But N’Diaye knotted it with a follow shot, and an Appo shot at the buzzer rolled around the rim and out, sending the game to overtime No. 1.
The Spartans had a 60-58 lead with 52.1 seconds to go, but Harvey continued his excellent performance with a drive to tie it with 19.9 seconds left. Saint Mark’s held the ball for a final shot, but the Jags’ defense knocked the ball from the Spartans’ possession with just a few ticks left. Four more minutes were necessary.
The shots weren’t falling in the second extra session, but N’Diaye turned an offensive rebound into two free throws with 2:25 left. Appo’s defensive pressure resulted in a steal a bit later, but they could not convert that into points despite three chances. Finally, Winnington was fouled, and he made one free throw.
The Spartans were unable to add to the lead on two free throws, giving the Jags a chance to take the lead. N’Diaye, however, made his presence known on the defensive end, throwing up a huge block in the paint with under 30 seconds to go. Mike Friend hit a pair of free throws, and an Appoquinimink three-point attempt in the closing seconds bounced off the rim.
N’Diaye led the Spartans with 22, while Wright and Warner each had 14. Saint Mark’s improved to 17-4 and advances to the quarterfinal round for the second time in the last three years.
For Appo, Harvey had 19. Riley Buzby added 13, and Winnington had 11, all in the second half. The Jaguars finished the season 14-8.
Photos by Mike Lang.
