The Lumen Christi boys basketball team and the Ninilchik Wolverine boys basketball team battled to the final overtime buzzer–twice— as Lumen captured the Peninsula Conference championship on a game-winning, overtime, 3-point basket to claim a 72-71 title game victory.
Lumen 72 – Ninilchik 71 Overtime
Lumen’s Brendan Gregory hit the winning basket with no time remaining; but, that is only the end of the complex story that developed in the game’s final ten seconds.
After both teams traded leads throughout regulation time and after each team scored eight points in the overtime period; Ninilchik pushed the ball up the floor in the hands of Landon Colburn, who had scored a game-high 33 points.
Colburn drove the lane and drew a trio of defenders, before dropping the ball off to George Nelson for a layup as the Ninilchik players and fans celebrated a 71-69 victory with :00 on the clock.
Not so fast–Lumen Christi was granted a time out!
After clearing the floor, restoring order and putting .5 seconds back on the clock, Lumen had a final opportunity, although the slimmest of opportunities, for victory.
Lumen’s senior leader Daniel Bennett launched a 60′ long baseball pass to Gregory, who launched a 30′ three-point shot which fell through the basket for a Lumen victory and invoked a a flood of emotions and fans from both teams onto the SoHi basketball court.
To the shock and dismay of both sides – jubilation for Lumen , disappointment for Ninilchik; the Lumen boys earn their second-straight Peninsula Conference Basketball Championship.
Tim Bennett scored 23 points for Lumen and Gregory scored 21 for the Archangels. Colburn lead the Wolverines with 33 points and George Nelson scored 19 for Ninilchik.
The Lumen Christi boys advance to the 2021 ASAA 1A State Basketball Championships. The Peninsula Conference only receives one automatic berth to the 1A state tournament in 2021 (normally two berths) and the Ninilchik boys must return to the court on Saturday to play in the 2nd Place Game and hopefully receive an at-large berth to state (although, there may be no at-large berths available).
Peninsula Conference: Girls Championship Game
Lumen 51 – Cook Inlet Academy 20
The Lumen Christi girls overpowered Cook Inlet Academy 51-20 in the Peninsula Conference championship game at Soldotna High School on Friday night.
Emily Ross lead the Lumen girls with 18 points. CIA’s Tatum Rozak scored 12 for the Eagles.
Lumen claims the Peninsula Conference’s automatic berth to the 2021 ASAA 1A State Basketball Championships scheduled for April 1-3 at Mat-Su Valley host schools.
Peninsula Conference: Saturday Game Schedule
10:00 a.m. Boys Play-In Game Nikolaevsk vs CIA
11:45 a.m. Girls 2nd Place Game CIA vs Birchwood on KSRM 920AM and radiokenai.com
1:45 p.m. Boys 2nd Place Game Ninilchik vs Winner of Nikolaevsk vs CIA on KSRM 920AM and radiokenai.com
