Irish Knock Griffins Out of Tournament
Date Posted: March 15, 2010

By Michael Beaven
Beacon Journal sports writer

CANTON: Junior Khristian Taylor made his first start for the St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball team a memorable one Saturday night against rival Buchtel.

Taylor entered the Canton Memorial Field House confident and composed, and did not seem affected by the approximately 4,000 fans that filled the venerable venue.

Taylor played a pivotal role by scoring 16 points and helping St. V-M to a 68-59 overtime victory over previously undefeated Buchtel in a Division II district final.

''I was confident,'' said Taylor, a 6-foot-2 guard. ''I am always confident, not to sound cocky or anything.''

Taylor said he averaged about 11 minutes per game and about six points as a reserve. He played a majority of the minutes Saturday and scored four of St. V-M's 11 points in the overtime.

Buchtel scored just two points in overtime.

''He probably has not been playing enough,'' St. V-M coach Dru Joyce said of Taylor. ''He has been coming on all year long. I have been waiting for him to show that focus. He has always been pretty good offensively. I thought tonight it was a better matchup for us to have him start. He gave us an additional ballhandler on the Please see St.V-M , C7


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court to deal with all the pressure that Buchtel applies.

''Big-time players step up in big games, and he stepped up. One of my assistant coaches suggested it and I thought about it all [Friday] night.''

St. V-M (16-6) will play Poland Seminary in a regional semifinal at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Canton Memorial Civic Center.

Buchtel (21-1) concludes its season after earning the No. 1 spot in the final Associated Press Division II state poll.

Sophomore Lorenzo Cugini (14 points, eight rebounds), junior JaKarr Sampson (12 points, nine rebounds) and senior Dominique Mitchell (11 points) also scored in double figures for the Fighting Irish, who were ranked No. 10 in the in the AP poll.

''It feels great with a packed house,'' Taylor said. ''We just came together as a team and played well.''

Senior Jason Pitts, a 6-foot-1 guard, had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Buchtel, which led 44-43 after three quarters.

Cugini scored five points in the fourth quarter and four points in overtime for St. V-M.

''It got away from us in overtime,'' Buchtel coach Stephen White said. ''We had opportunities.''

Junior Marlon Oden, a 6-foot guard, had 10 points and four steals for the Griffins.

Senior forward Dainan Lewis and senior guard Myles Fitten each scored nine points for Buchtel. Junior forward Shawntrail Smith contributed seven points and nine rebounds.

''It was a great season,'' White said. ''Our kids gave us great effort.''

Buchtel led 7-0 with 5:43 left in the first quarter and held a 11-1 advantage with 4:18 on the clock. St. V-M rallied and cut the lead to 14-10 at the end of the first quarter. Pitts scored seven points in the first quarter.

''We just kept our composure and played our game,'' said Cugini, a 6-5 guard. ''Every year, people want to come watch this game because they know it will be a good game to see.''

Mitchell and Taylor guided the Irish to a 30-29 lead at halftime. Mitchell scored nine points in the first half, and Taylor scored eight points.

Junior guard Ricky Johnson Jr. contributed nine points for the Irish, who also utilized a 2-3 zone to come back.

Sampson was held scoreless in the first half, but scored nine points in the third quarter.

''I got off to a slow start,'' said Sampson, a 6-8 forward, who also had four steals and three blocks. ''I knew my team needed me and I had to step my play up.''

Since 2004, St. V-M is 5-0 in Division II district tournament games against Buchtel. Four of the wins have come in district finals, and the other was a semifinal.

''I think only one has been a blowout, so they have all been close,'' Joyce said. ''I think this might be the first one that went into overtime.

''We felt we were the better basketball team. We believe that and we have worked like it. It is nothing against Steve or what he has done. He has done a tremendous job with his kids.''