SHREWSBURY – In the final 5:46 of the game, Georgetown didn’t score a single point.
Throughout all four quarters, the Royals committed 19 turnovers.
And the last one came at the most inopportune time — up by a point with 13.6 seconds remaining on the scoreboard.
Yet despite all of those obstacles, somehow the No. 6-seeded Royals defeated No. 3 Clinton, 49-48, in a sloppy, yet extremely physical and wildly entertaining MIAA Division 4 state boys basketball quarterfinal game, played before a jammed-pack thunderous crowd at Shrewsbury High.
“That was probably the loudest game I have ever played in in my entire life,” said junior Irvin Zapata.
The win pushes Georgetown into the state semifinals against the defending state finalists and No. 2 seed Bourne (day, time and location, TBA). This is the furthest that any Georgetown team has gone in program history.
“We’ve got two more (wins) to go,” added Zapata. “We’re not done.”
The Royals (17-6) were able to win their third post-season game scoring just one field goal in the entire fourth quarter — a three-pointer by Zapata with 5:47 remaining, which was his tenth trey in the three tourney games.
Clinton (21-2) followed with baskets coming with 5:00 and 3:53 left and could have easily taken the lead, but went 1-for-6 from the charity stripe. One free throw made with 1:22 left cut it to a one-point game. Both teams missed a shot, and both turned the ball over — including junior Brendon Loewen uncharacteristically mishandling the ball in front of his own bench giving it back to Clinton with 13.6 seconds remaining.
But a 3-point attempt from the right-wing corner with 1.9 seconds left went off the rim, allowing Georgetown to celebrate.
“I can’t believe we won that game. I don’t know how it happened. We just fought with one possession at a time, and we kept getting stops,” said Georgetown head coach Josh Keilty. “It was not our cleanest game obviously, but it just shows the fight that these kids have. They just stay committed, they battle and play great defense.”
That great defense held Clinton without a point through the first 3:41 of the game, then to just 10 points in the final quarter, then most importantly to no buzzer-beating basket.
“My teammates picked me up from the bench and we just needed one more (defensive) stop,” said Loewen about his turnover. “You just have to put that play behind you and get to the next one, and not let it affect you.”
Added Keilty, “At that point, you can’t talk about the turnover. We needed a stop and had to get a stop. That’s what makes these guys so good, just being so mentally tough. They just say, ‘I’m not going to worry about that play, I’m going to get the next one’. Brendan is the toughest kid mentally I have seen – ever.”
Loewen said it was just a matter of buckling down when it mattered the most.
“Our defense has carried us throughout the year,” he said. “Over the past (six weeks) our defense has just been absolutely stellar by everyone, one through fifteen. One through fifteen, they know their role, they know what to do and they completely buy-in. That’s what our team is made of and that’s our identity.”
Zapata led the way with 15 points. Marcos Yones was sensational on defense and added eight points offensively. Jomar Terrero chipped in with eight points and added four defensive steals, and Loewen finished with seven points.
“To think back where we started and how it is now, and all of the support we get, it’s really a family affair. We get a lot of people involved and all help us win. It’s a credit to the kids, how hard they work and their commitment,” said the coach.
Georgetown 49, Clinton 48
Division 4 Quarterfinals
Georgetown: Irvin Zapata 5-0-15, Marcos Yones 4-0-8, Jomar Terrero 4-0-8, Brendan Loewen 3-0-7, Brady Kent 1-0-3, Jalen Andujar 0-2-2, John Alcantara 1-0-2, Aleks Dimov 0-4-4. Totals: 18-6-49.
Clinton: Colin Schmidt 3-4-10, Ethan Frisch 3-1-7, Davis Lunn 3-2-10, Patrick Mahan 4-2-10, Grady Frisch 1-0-2, Christian Green 4-0-9. Totals: 18-9-48.
Halftime: Georgetown 26-25
3-pointers: G – Zapata 4, Loewen and Kent; C – Lunn 2, Green.
Records: Georgetown 17-6; Clinton 21-2.