Giddiness and the eager anticipation of victory turned into despair Friday for the Sacred Heart Cathedral boys basketball team.
The Irish led by three points in the waning seconds of regulation before allowing St. Augustine to tie the game and then win it 59-52 in overtime.
The victory was the Saints' first in a state title game. SHC was seeking its second state title in five years, but instead absorbed its second state Division III title loss in as many seasons after falling to Alemany of Mission Hills last season.
Momentum shifted wildly in the final half-minute of regulation against St. Augustine.
Saint star Trey Kell sank two free throws with 26.8 seconds left to put his team in front 44-40. But then SHC guard David Parsons drained a 3-pointer from the corner to move the Irish to within one with 16.8 seconds left.
“These kids don’t quit,” Irish coach Darrell Barbour said of an Irish comeback that saw his team claw back into contention after being down 42-36 with 3:39 left. “Our defense was off the charts. This team just digs in more and more and more as the game wears on. They believe in each other."
The Irish then pressed and caused a five-second violation, leading to a Liam O'Reilly's swish from the baseline off an inbounds play, putting SHC ahead 45-44. The SHC bench and green-clad cheering section almost came unhinged.
And the Irish weren't done as Parsons stole the inbounds pass and was fouled. He made both free throws and SHC led 46-43 with 10.2 seconds left.
Then disaster struck for SHC as Kell (game-high 30 points) was fouled by O'Reilly while attempting a 3-point shot with 2.9 seconds left. The 6-foot-4 junior coolly stepped to the line and swished three consecutive free throws to tie the game.
"I was a little nervous," Kell said. "I just kept thinking I had to make the next one.”
After a desperation heave by SHC at the buzzer fell short, the game chugged into overtime.
The Irish's last hurrah came with 2:07 left in OT when DeOndre Otis' 3-pointer tied the game 52-52. But then St. Augustine sprinted away, scoring the last seven points of the extra stanza to secure its historic victory.
Barbour agreed it was difficult to go into overtime after giving up the lead in the final seconds of regulation.
"We broke down and that's what happens against a good team -- they'll make you pay, so we have to live with that," the former Woodside High star said. "But we'll get better -- we'll all get better. Basketball's about life lessons, too."
The Irish had difficulty stopping Kell all game long as he scored 12 first-half points and took seven rebounds to stake the Saints to a 23-16 halftime lead. The Irish also trailed by seven heading into the fourth quarter.
The Saints (29-4) were still leading by six after Drew Madsen putback with 3:39 left before SHC mounted its furious -- but ultimately futile -- comeback.
The Irish (21-12) were led by senior guard Herman Pratt IV, who scored a team-high 17 points -- all in the second half. Otis chipped in with 12 points and three assists for SHC, O'Reilly had 10 points and nine rebounds and Parsons scored nine points and had three steals.
Barbour thinks the experience, while painful, will be valuable for the program.
"This is a great venue to play in this time of year," he said. "It's a great experience for players and coaches. Hopefully we can make this our home and come back as often as we can."
The Irish should be strong again next season, with Otis, Parsons and O'Reilly all returning.
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John Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@Prep2Prep.com.
