After beating a tough Elder team, the Withrow Tigers looked to St Xavier as their next hurdle in their dream season.

After four straight years of under achieving in the OHSAA playoff's, including three first game knockouts, they hoped their 14 game wining streak would continue. Wins over Princeton, LaSalle and Elder showed they could hang with strong teams but St Xavier felt their destiny included a trip to Columbus.

Withrow opened in their often used man to man defense and St X used a zone defense for most of the game to neutralize Yancy Gates' inside footwork. Fewer touches meant fewer inside points by the big man with more potential than skill. And he has a lot of skill.

St Xavier came out strong using a 10-4 run late in the first quarter to finish that first session with a 16-10 lead. But Withrow tied things at 18 with an Anthony McBride layup. Withrow didn't stop there and continued on a 14-2 run to take a halftime lead of 22-18. St Xavier scored just two points in the second quarter. Signs of trouble though for the Tigers during the run because it included an 0-5 performance at the line by Gates. So the lead could have been nine at the break, but coach Walt McBride was happy with at least the lead at the half.

Unfortunately, the officials became part of the game at times. Brad Loesing was called for a charge on a very late call early in the third quarter. Whether the call was right or wrong, the lateness of it made the fans react and they had the fans attention even more than usual after that.

With about 5:30 remaining in the third Gates checked out for his first rest of the game and St Xavier took the opportunity to pull back in the lead on a Walt Gibler layup. Gates reentered the game energized and Withrow ended the third with a 35-30 lead using steals and layups by the Withrow guards.

St Xavier started the fourth with a 7-1 run to take back the lead 37-36 and the game would be a see saw affair from there. Part of the run turned on a bang bang play from a Gates miss and a Gibler fastbreak and layup prompting Coach McBride to call a timeout.

With one minute left, Gibler blocked a Gates layup for a jumpball and the crowd went crazy on both sides.  Moments later a foul by Gates - his fourth - on Gibler sent him to the line where he was 10-11 on the night. St X up 46-42.

But Greg Howard had a quick answer with a 30 foot trey just seconds into the possession to bring Withrow back within one. It was a shot that no coach would have wanted him to take and all were shocked when it went in. With 20 seconds left, Withrow's Greg Hisle committed a ticky tack foul far from the basket putting Gibler back on the line for two shots, where he had his one miss.  St X by two.

With eight seconds left D.J. Frazier, in a shot reminiscent of Thursday night's game winning shot, hit a deep trey from the left corner to give Withrow a one point lead and the Tiger faithful felt lightening had struck twice for Frazier two games in a row. Timeout St Xavier.

St Xavier knew they would see Withrow's press so they drew up a play that got Gibler the ball at half court, when he spotted teammate Mike Budde flashing to the goal. Gibler's pinpoint pass found Budde for the layup with 2.3 seconds left.

Withrow drew up a 'home run' play and Gates took off for the basket and received the the 3/4 length pass and, as he went for the catch, tripped over presumably the St Xavier defender and fell to the ground. The ball went out of bounds and the officals said 'St Xavier ball'.  Gates instantly protested and got a technical foul for what he felt was a tripping foul by the St Xavier player. After he continued protesting the referee gave him a second and he went to the tunnel.

Gibler shot the technical foul shots and St Xavier celebrated their 51-48 win as their fans chanted 'Upstate, Upstate !'

St Xavier will face the strong Canton GlenOak team that features what may be a future NBA player in Kosta Koufos on Friday night at Value City Arena in Columbus.

Player detail. . . .  

St. Xavier 

Walt Gibler 2008 PF - Was huge in this game scoring a game high 28 points on 9-19 field goals and 10-11 free throws.  He scored nearly all of his points on lay ups, put backs and at the free throw line.  Mid Major player, but had a high major effort.

Notes:  Had lay up blocked, hit left hand lay up, turnover, hit left hand lay up, drive fouled hit 2-2 free throws, missed lay up, missed lay up, hit lay up, had lay up blocked, put back good, missed lay up, put back good, 3' bank shot good, break away lay up good, lay up good and 1 (over Gates), missed lay up, lay up fouled hit 2-2 free throws, hit 2 free throws, hit 1-2 free throws. 

Brad Loesing 2008 PG-  This usually steady PG struggled in this game going 1-5 on field goals scoring only two points.  He also had 6 assists but 7 turnovers in 32 minutes of action.  D2/D3

Notes:  Steal, break away lay up good, turnover, turnover, missed runner, missed runner, turnover (charge), missed runner, missed front end of huge 1 and 1.

Pete Zestermann 2007 PF - This skilled big man was solid on the offensive end scoring 6 points on 3-4 shooting but came up with 13 huge rebounds.  Played all 32 minutes.  D2-/D3+

Notes:  Missed 5' runner, put back good, hit lay up, block, assist, assist, huge 10' baseline jumper late in the game.

Mike Budde 2007 C -  This big man was very efficient in his 19 minutes of action hitting 4-5 on field goals and 2-2 on free throws.  He ended up scoring 10 points but his playing time was limited due to early foul trouble.

Notes:  Short jumphook, put back good, lay up fouled hit 2-2 free throws, turnover, hit lay up, hit game winning lay up with 2.3 seconds left in the game.

Kevin Hickey 2007 SG - This player hit a huge 3 in the fourth quarter, but didn't do much else.  D3

Notes:  Turnover, missed wing 3, missed wing 3, hit corner 3.

Tom Williams 2007 CF-  Played 12 solid minutes off the St. X bench, scoring two points.

Notes:  Missed corner 3, missed 10' baseline jumper, assist, turnover, hit lay up.

Withrow 

Yancy Gates 2008 PF -  This was not one of the better games for the talented Gates.  He scored only 8 points on 3-11 shooting, 0-3 on threes and miserable 2-9 from the charity stripe.  He seemed frustrated that his teammates didn't get him the ball on the block. He's being recruited at the highest level.

Notes:  Turnover, missed wing jumper, put back fouled, missed 2 free throws, turnover, put back dunk good, lay up fouled, missed 2 free throws, missed mid range jumper, dunk good, missed 2 free throws, assist, missed corner 3, missed wing 3, lay up fouled hit 1-2 free throws, 10' turnaround jumper, missed corner 3, dunk good, lay up blocked.

Anthony McBride 2008 PG -  This might have been the best game we have seen him play.  He scored 14 points on 6-11 shooting.  He missed his only trey and was 2-4 on free throws, had 3 assists and 2 turnovers in 30 minutes of action.  Looked like a MM player in this game but will likely be a good low major player when things are done. 

Notes:  Turnover, drive lay up blocked, missed 3, hit 10' pull up jumper, hit lay up, missed 2 free throws, turnover, amazing 10' baseline high arcing rainbow floater good, drive lay up good, hit lay up, lay up fouled hit 1-2 free throws, missed 15' jumper, assist, hit runner.

Some individual stats - 
Pete Zesterman - 6 pts, 13 rebs
Walt Gibler - 28 pts, 7 rebs, 3 steals, 5 turnovers
Yancy Gates - 8 pts, 9 rebs, 3 blocks, 4 turnovers, 0-3 from the 3pt line.
Anthony McBride - 14 pts, 1 reb, 3 assts, 2 turnovers
Greg Howard - 11 pts, 0 rebs, 3 turnovers, 3-8 from the 3pt line.

Other Notes - 
FG% - St Xavier 45%, Withrow 37%
FT% - St Xavier 12-14, Withrow 8-17
3PT% - St Xavier 1-5, Withrow 4-17
Turnovers - St Xavier 18, Withrow 14
Fouls - St Xavier 15, Withrow 17
Loesing, Hickey and Morand were 2-10 from the field
St Xavier scored just two points in the second quarter, but outscored Withrow in the fourth by eight.
St Xavier had 33 rebounds to Withrow's 25

Enquirer article.