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Held to a season-low 68 points, Catawba Valley used a zone defense to slow the pace of the game, taking the lead for good with 4:46 and coming away with a 76-68 win. The loss brought an end to the Storm’s season, but it will forever be etched in the minds of the school and community.
“I am so proud of them,” said an emotional Storm coach Matt Ridge. “I hate it that the journey and ride is over.”
Despite the zone defense packing it in low, DCCC center Justin Reissmann was a man amongst boys in the two weekend games. On Friday night he scored a season-high 29 points, and followed that up in the finals with 31. His efforts went unnoticed as he received the MVP award, but a win to advance would have meant more to him.
“It is bittersweet because we didn’t win,” he said. “If it wasn’t for my teammates getting me the ball, I wouldn’t have had any of that. I love these guys to death. I love my teammates and coaching staff, who really worked extra hard with me coming in late.”
DCCC began the game in familiar fashion by racing out to a 20-8 lead eight minutes in. Reissmann and Justin Strickland scored 18 of the points, doing it in different ways. Strickland created a lot off the dribble for himself, and Reissmann established a home in the paint.
The Buccaneers righted the ship and put together a 13-0 run of their own to take its second lead of the game, and the see-saw battle was on. CVCC built a 32-24 lead to force a time out, and Reissmann came out of the huddle with a vengeance. He first converted an alley-oop on a set play, then received a pass from Mitch Jeffries for an emphatic two-handed flush. His soft, baby left hook got the Storm within two, and a Landon Bowers free throw tied the game at 35-all with 20 minutes in the books.
Reissmann began the second half with a pair of free throws to seize the lead once more, as the lead would change hands four more times over the next 1:30. Strickland and Nate Wilkins scored six-unanswered for a four-point lead, but there was CVCC once again to take another lead on a pair of tosses at the line from Corey Withers.
As the game wore on, DCCC began to win over some of the Central Carolina fans who stayed the extra day. Bowers had been held to just one point through the entire first half, but buried a huge trey with 14:18 to bring about another tie.
Buccaneer fans had been fairly quiet throughout the game, but had plenty to cheer about when Michaux Christian knocked down a 3-ball to give his team an eight point edge.
Ridge righted the troops and began an incredible stretch led by Jeffries, who saw significant minutes at the point with Bowers in foul trouble. He drove and dished out three assists in a span of one minute to help erase the deficit and put his team up by two following Strickland’s splash from deep. A third alley-oop dunk to Reissmann sent the crowd ballistic,- as the Storm were up 61-57 with 7:50 to play.
“Mitch came off the bench and was a spark plug in the second half,” said Ridge. “We had a hard time against their zone, and Mitch made some big plays for us.”
Back-to-back 3s moments later by Christian seemed to bury DCCC, though, as they scored 11 of the final 16 points to survive. Strickland tried to power the Strom back with 3s, but his shots were contested and he never could get one to fall. DCCC failed to make a field goal over the final five minutes.
“Down the stretch it was close, and we just didn’t make the plays,” said Ridge. “They stretched the lead to four and we could just never catch up. For them to hold us to 68 points is amazing considering we average 110. We have scored that many in a half.”
Strickland closed out his phenomenal year with 22 points for the 22-7 Storm.
Few could have expected the upstart program to be this good that fast, and they will surely be a team remembered for a long time.
“To win 22 games in our first year makes us really proud,” said Ridge. “Our guys have set the standard really high, and I am just proud to be a part of it.”
The game saw a total of 14 lead changes.