RANDY HISNER
WZBD.com
For the Heritage Patriots, the second half of their semifinal game against Leo in the Woodlan 3A Sectional was a wildly fluctuating ride on the offensive thermometer—cold, then hot, then subzero.
The second freezing dip—no field goals and only three free throws over the final 10:43 of the game—helped Leo break open a close contest and pull away for a 53-38 victory.
Leo held a 32-25 halftime lead, and Heritage’s frigid offense to start the third quarter—no points for almost the first three minutes—allowed the Lions to go on a 5-0 run and push the lead to 12 at 37-25.
Then came the Heritage heat: a 10-0 rally started by a pair of free throws from Braden Walter and completed by eight consecutive points from D’Vontaye Washington on a 14-foot jumper and two three-pointers from the top of the key.
Now it was a slim 37-35 Leo lead with 2:43 left in the quarter, and it looked like anybody’s ball game.
But then came that second Patriot ice bath.
Leo’s Jackson McGee cooled the Heritage momentum with a fadeaway jumper at the 1:58 mark, and the Lions held the Patriots scoreless the rest of the period. At the buzzer, the aptly named Trey Hiteshew hit a step-back three from beyond the top of the key for Leo to make it 42-35.
The start of the fourth quarter saw more icy offense for the Patriots. They could manage only a Kobe Meyer free throw in the first 3:14 of the period while the Lions scored nine points to take a 15-point lead, 51-36. It wasn’t long before both coaches cleared their benches. Each team scored only two more points the rest of the way to produce the final score.
“We got it to two. We got it right back to where we wanted,” first-year Heritage coach Kyle Sovine said, “and then I think we scored three points in 10 minutes. It’s going to be hard to win any ballgame scoring three points in 10 minutes.”
Leo started the game hot. Solomon Richard made a bucket in the post on the Lions’ first possession, and McGee followed with a put back. Trey and Nathan Hiteshew each scored on drives to make it 8-0 with 4:55 left. Meanwhile, Heritage missed its first four shots—all three-point attempts.
Noah Redmond’s three from the left wing finally got the Patriots on the scoreboard, and the Pats outscored the Lions 8-6 the rest of the quarter to cut the lead to 14-11. Heritage sophomore LanTae Cassel keyed the Patriots’ scoring in the segment with a layup on the left side and a three from the right corner.
Leo drained four three-pointers (from Trey and Nathan Hiteshew plus Colton Wallace and Richard) to win the second quarter 18-14 and take their 32-25 lead into the locker room. Five points from Taurean Brown and four from Redmon helped the Patriots keep the Lions within reach.
Though disappointed by the loss, Sovine liked his team’s effort and was proud of how his team developed over the season. “I’m extremely proud of how we played,” he said. “The guys left everything out on the floor. As a staff, you know, we’re proud of them. Looking at where we came from November to now, we’ve got to be one of the most improved teams in the state, just by the kids coming to practice every single day wanting to get better and believing in the process of what we’re trying to build at Heritage.”
Sovine appreciated the leadership of his seniors this year (Redmon, Meyer, Washington, and Caleb Abbott). “I told them in the locker room, ‘I’m super proud and very thankful for everything you guys did for our program. You laid out the blueprint of what we’re trying to build here,’” he said. “Great group of seniors. I’d do anything for them.”
Leo’s Trey Hiteshew led all scorers with 17 points. Teammates Richard and McGee also hit double figures, with 11 and 10, respectively. Nolan Hiteshew had eight.
Redmon and Washington each scored eight for the Patriots. Brown tallied seven, Cassel and Meyer five each. Landon Lybarger added three, Walter two.
The win evened Leo’s record at 12-12, while Heritage dropped to 9-16. The Lions advance to Saturday’s championship game against the Concordia Cadets, who clobbered Angola, 72-47, in the first game Friday.