The Dons and the Saintsmen basketball teams met for the third time this season on Saturday, February 18. There was anxious anticipation surrounding Cathedral Catholic all week leading up to the game. The Gym was full, and the security guards were telling fans that the game was sold out at 7:00… half an hour before game time.
The game went back and forth between the two teams in what was shaping up to be a defensive struggle. Saints had a 23-20 edge going into halftime in terms of points, but the Dons still seemed to have the momentum. The team came out of the locker room with more intensity and enthusiasm than they had had all game; they were ready to hand it to Saints.
The Second half saw the same kind of defensive battle as the first half, and it came down to the wire. The Dons had the ball with a minute left in regulation when Sophomore Parker Holland hit a clutch three-point shot that put the Dons up 40-37. Then, Saints senior Sean Davey hit a clutch three-pointer that tied the game with only seconds left.
The Saints crowd was going nuts, and the Dons crowd was holding its breath. After the timeout, the ball was thrown in to CCHS senior Mathew Rosenburg. As time expired in regulation, “Rosey” shot the ball from half court,, and it bounced off the rim. We were going into overtime.
The 4-minute-long overtime period featured the same kind of basketball that was played during regulation. Only 17 points were scored between the two teams, but one shot, fired from the hands of Mathew Rosenburg, defined the night and brought an entire school community together. The Dons were losing for the majority of the overtime period, and there was a great amount of tension in the stands. On the court, however, the Dons kept playing their game.
The Dons were losing 46-48 with only enough time left on the clock for one last play. The ball was taken down the court, passed around, and with only five seconds left, passed to Rosenburg. Mat pulled the trigger, taking a deep three-point shot as the buzzer went off to signal the end of the game. At this moment in time, all fans in the building had their hearts in their throats. As the ball floated through the air, not a word was spoken. Then, the ball went into the basket. Stunned, the Dons fans looked at the scoreboard. No time left. Dons win, 49-48.
Fans rushed the court and embraced the team, even lifting Rosenburg up off the floor and carrying him off the court. The place was going crazy, and the entire school community was cheering together.
Senior Livie Orendain, along with the rest of the student body, was stunned by the buzzer-beater. Livie said, “Best night of my life -Matt Rosenburg,…marry me!?
This game meant a lot to both teams not only because of the rivalry, but also because it was the last regular season game of the year. Senior Alex Kirkwood knows how important this game was.
He said, “It was a confidence builder for us going into the playoffs, and we hope we keep getting the support from the best fans in the city.”
After all of the fans were out of the building, it became evident that the bleachers where the Saints students were sitting were broken. Speculation among some in the CC crowd was that the bleachers were broken intentionally by the angry Saints fans.
Despite the damaged bleachers, the night was an incredible one for Cathedral Catholic as a whole. Not only did the Basketball team beat Saints with a buzzer-beater, but on Thursday, the Boys soccer team beat La Jolla High School 5-0.