By ANGELA MORYAN
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
It was a weekend full of thrilling sectional championship matchups across the state, but one game in Hamilton County was an instant classic.
Guerin Catholic hit a game-winner at the buzzer to beat rival Brebeuf Jesuit in double overtime. But, it wasn’t just a normal buzzer beater.
“I’ve never been a part of a game like that before,” Guerin head coach Bobby Allen said.
Down one with less than three seconds left, Golden Eagles senior Ben Grissom threw up a Hail Mary behind his back and found junior Malcolm Houze unguarded under the basket. Houze brought down the house when he made the game-winning lay-up at the literal last second.
“I’m not going to lie. The play that happened is not what we drew up at all,” Allen said and laughed.
“Originally, when the ball went over Ben’s head, I thought we were about to lose,” senior Rob Sorensen said. “Then he chucked it overhead and Malcolm was wide open.”
What went through Houze’s head in that moment was simple.
“Don’t smoke it. Don’t smoke the layup,” Houze said and laughed. “I don’t know. People have asked me (what was going through my head). I don’t even know what to say. I mean, I’m sitting there under the rim with 3-point-something seconds left in the sectional championship and I don’t even know what I’m thinking, and it’s just ‘Got to make it.’”
“I mean, I was in disbelief,” Grissom said. “I just imagined the clock going off before it even touched anything when I threw it up, and then I turned around and saw him catch it and put it in. It was just amazing.”
The celebration that followed was just as big as the shot.
“It was just excitement and joy, and I tackled Malcolm,” Sorensen said. “We were at the bottom of the pile. It was great.”
Allen gave his team 24 hours to celebrate, then it was back to practice for regionals.
It’s a moment this team will never forget, but the Golden Eagles are still four wins away from the ultimate goal: winning a state championship.
“This group of seniors, they experienced the state finals last year. We came up a little short, and it was one of their goals to make sure we did our part to give ourselves an opportunity to return there,” Allen said.
Sorensen said, “We just need to stay locked in, stay focused these next four days knowing that, although that was a great play and although it was a fascinating game, we need to refocus and gather ourselves for Saturday.”
The road to that state championship will continue Saturday against Indianapolis Washington at Greenfield-Central High School.
This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/sports/high-school-the-zone/guerin-catholics-prayer-answered-with-double-overtime-miracle.