In what has been a season of close contests, boys’ varsity basketball found themselves in yet another thriller on Tuesday night against the Marin Catholic Wildcats. The Giants, who overcame a double-digit deficit late in the fourth quarter and tied the game with just seconds left, watched their overtime hopes come up short as junior Joe Hammond of the Wildcats sank a buzzer-beating three-pointer to win the game.
With a loss to the Monterey Trail Mustangs the morning prior, Redwood came into Tuesday’s competition looking to take another game from their Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) foes. After a hard-fought five-point victory in the prior meeting with the Wildcats, anticipation was high for yet another close match.
Both teams came out of the gate shooting well. Senior guards Semetri Carr and Brennan Woodley facilitated most of the first-quarter action with multiple buckets from the star backcourt. Amidst a tight second quarter, the Giants saw starting center Simon Leonard, a major contributor, exit the game following knee issues that he had been battling the prior few weeks. Despite the loss of a starter, Redwoodheaded into the locker room at half-time tied 34-34.
Coming out of the half, Marin Catholic took advantage of the Giants’ smaller size, dominating the boards and landing multiple second-chance shots to build a comfortable lead. The Wildcats held the lead for much of the second half, finding themselves up 11 points with only a little under four minutes left in the game.
Efforts from Carr, along with a momentum-shifting forced turnover by senior Noah Tanaka, brought the Giants back — now behind just two points with 32 seconds left. Taking only 14 seconds off the clock, Carr scored on a second-chance effort, tying the game. With hopes high and roars from the traveling Redwood crowd, it seemed that the game would continue into overtime. However, with time expiring, the Wildcats’ prayers were answered when a last-second three-pointer found its way in, clanking off the backboard and crushing the Giant comeback.
Despite a tough loss, Redwood ranks second in MCAL with four league games remaining. Hoping to end the two-game losing streak, the Giants look ahead to their Friday night matchup against the Novato Hornets at home.