Dylan Metoyer drills a 3-pointer as time expires giving the Trailblazers a 67-64 win over the previously unbeaten Hilltoppers before 10,000 fans in Chicago.
UCLA-bound
Amari Bailey scored 19 points and
Bronny James, son of LeBron James, drilled six 3-pointers (18 points) for the Trailblazers. But Metoyer, an underappreciated 6-foot-1 senior guard, came through when he needed most.
The left-hander took a pass from a driving Bailey in the corner and swished it over the extended reach of 6-7
Bobby Durkin, giving Sierra Canyon (22-3) a wild win it seemed to have well in hand most of the second half. Metoyer was active all night and finished with 13 points.
While the Trailblazers mobbed Metoyer, the shot crushed the nearly 10,000 fans packed into Wintrust Arena, almost exclusively rooting on the Hilltoppers (26-1), who fought back from a 45-33 deficit early in the third quarter behind 13 points from 6-10 Gonzaga-bound post
Braden Huff, 12 each by Durkin and
Ryan Renfro and 11 from
Caden Pierce.
Two free throws and a 3-pointer from Huff closed the gap to 64-63 with 50 seconds left and after a miss by Bailey, the Hilltoppers had a chance to take the last shot. Instead
Paxton Warden made a great backdoor cut and was fouled going in for a layup with 28 seconds left.
But Warden made just one of two free throws, which plagued Glenbard West throughout the second half. They missed eight from the charity stripe after intermission, helping the Trailblazers escape with the victory.
James set the tone from the start, drilling three 3-pointers in the first four minutes. He finished six-of-10 shots, all from beyond the arc.
Glenbard West, which led only once, 6-5, battled all night and and stayed within a bucket or two throughout the first half, before Bailey, a Chicago native and the nation's No. 2 rated senior, took over to start the third quarter. He scored six points in the first minute, lifting the Trailblazers to a 12-point lead. He added two more in the quarter with a high-flying fastbreak dunk from the left side.
But the home crowd wouldn't let the Hilltoppers cave and behind tremendous ball movement, excellent length and skill, they eventually cut the deficit to 57-54 with 3:15 left on a driving layup by Pierce. The home squad also did a nice job on Sierra Canyon's 6-9 McDonald's All-American
Kijani Wright , who had five points. Another Trailblazer in the post, 6-8
Jeremiah Nyarko added 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Both teams will now hit the postseason, but this highly-anticipated game will offer playoff atmosphere. The game was sold out within 30 minutes after tickets were placed on sale.
All three of Sierra Canyon's losses this season were sustained out of state, losing at showcases in Texas, Virginia and Missouri. The Trailblazers also won the 'Iolani Classic in Honolulu.