Lexington Catholic tightens defense and rallies from 12 down for district championship
Lexington Catholic Coach Brandon Salsman warned his team ahead of its 43rd District Tournament championship game at Lafayette High School on Friday night.
If Paul Laurence Dunbar made 10 three-point shots, the Bulldogs would be hoisting the boys’ basketball district title trophy for the second year in a row instead of the Knights.
“They made eight in the first half,” Salsman said. “I walked in (to the locker room at halftime) and said, ‘Fellas, you’ve got two left. If they make two in the second half, they’re going to win.’
“They only made one.”
Lexington Catholic (26-5) turned up the defensive pressure and found its offensive game to rally from 12 points down at halftime to defeat the Bulldogs 47-44 in front of a near-capacity crowd.
The Knights held Dunbar to 12 second-half points as they stormed back into the game. Senior Jack Gohmann nailed a straight-away three-pointer from nearly 30 feet out to tie the game 39-39 with 5:44 to play. Hudson Sparks followed with another three for a 42-41 lead a minute later.
The sequence sent a sizable Lexington Catholic student section into raptures.
“It was electric. We were fighting back the whole game,” LexCath’s 7-foot center Reece Potter said. “And then when (Gohmann) came up and hit a big shot — the big senior, the big shot — the crowd just went insane. And we knew we were in it. It was our game to win.”
Potter, who had been battling in the low post with Dunbar’s 6-foot-8 center Lionel Kumwimba, would help make sure. He got the ball in good position on the left block and spun right for a baby hook that put the Knights up for good, 45-44, with 2:09 to play.
Dunbar (14-12) had the ball with a chance to go ahead with less than 20 seconds to play, but a turnover led to a scramble on the floor for possession. LexCath’s Blake Busson helped force the turnover and he was first to lay himself out and grab the ball to force a tie-up. The possession arrow gave the Knights the ball with 8.2 seconds left. Gohmann made two free throws to seal the final margin.
“We came in at halftime and our coaches were just preaching all season that our defense is the thing that’s different for us,” Potter said. “And so we came out and we stopped some great shooters and great players.”
LexCath held Dunbar to 38.5 percent shooting on only 13 second-half shots after allowing the Bulldogs 12 makes on 26 shots in the first half, including making eight of 14 three-pointers.
“I’ve been the head coach at Lexington Catholic, this is my 17th year, and they might not be the most talented team I’ve ever had, but they are the best defensive team we’ve ever had,” Salsman said. “It was all predicated on our defense. Just playing hard and busting our tails.”
Gohmann led LexCath with 24 points, including four three-pointers. Potter added 17 points. Nick Spalding and Max VanDyke led Dunbar with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Both teams advance to next week’s 11th Region Tournament, but as district champion, Lexington Catholic will host its first-round game before the event moves on to Eastern Kentucky University’s McBrayer Arena for the semifinals and finals.
“I think we’re battle tested, now,” Salsman said. “So, I’m hoping we’re going to go into this regional tournament with a lot of experience, a lot of heart and ready to go.”
This story was originally published February 26, 2022 at 12:06 PM.
