MARTINSVILLE – Three-hundred and sixty-five days.

Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.

Every huddle this season, that total has been reiterated. A mantra of redemption signifying Class 3A Cathedral’s precise postseason calculation toward the program’s goal.

On Saturday night inside John R. Wooden Gymnasium, Cathedral senior Keaton Aldridge pushed the number to 352 during the Martinsville Regional championship with a clutch, last-second bucket to break the sixth and final tie against rival Brebeuf Jesuit.

With the third-ranked Irish (22-5) and the 10th-ranked Braves (18-7) locked at 67-67 and 20.6 seconds remaining, Aldridge ad-libbed out of necessity and kept the tally going with 1.9 left on the clock.

Surveying the court as time winded down, Aldridge found a crease in the lane and buried the go-ahead and eventual game-winning layup, securing Cathedral’s first regional title since 2022 with a thrilling 69-67 victory.

“The play was, I went to the right side, but I saw I had the 1-on-1, and he hesitated a little, so I came back to the middle, and then the paint was wide open,” Aldridge said. “They all jumped as I went, so I held it for a little bit, and the ball just went in. It was great.”

For Cathedral senior Julian Smith, Aldridge’s game-high 22nd point was expected, though he admittedly was ready to pounce for the rebound as a trailer just in case.

Mercy! @gochsathletics Keaton Aldridge goes downhill in the clutch vs rival No. 10 Brebeuf Jesuit, hits go-ahead bucket with 1.9 left to secure 3A No. 3 Cathedral’s 69-67 win and first regional title since 2022. Aldridge finished with game-high 22 pts. @indyhsscorespic.twitter.com/ba21uUc491

— Richard Torres (@RichTorres23) March 15, 2026

The move was one Aldridge had executed numerous times at practice, Smith explained, but the 6-foot-3 Detroit Mercy commit added some finesse this time, driving into the paint, spinning and splitting two defenders while switching hands in midair before finding the bottom of the net.

“Keaton just makes things happen,” Cathedral coach Jason Delaney said. “Well, we didn’t run what we were supposed to run. He was trying to run it, and we tried to run some form of it, but then it was just Keaton getting downhill. That’s what he does. He hits tough shots. He made it happen.”

He wanted the ball. He wanted the chance, especially after last year’s heartbreaking sectional semifinal loss to Crispus Attucks, 59-54, which ended their 3A state-title pursuit prematurely.

“Last year, we had a perfect squad to win state, and unfortunately, we lost,” Smith said. “That’s been on our minds. Coach, he said it every single huddle, 365 days. We’ve been waiting for this moment. It’s been a rough, hard journey, but it’s all been worth it. We’ve been working for a win like this.”

The Braves made the Irish sweat.

Unable to overcome Cathedral’s stingy defense during their regular-season meeting, 71-62, on Dec. 5, Brebeuf traded blows for three early ties in the first quarter before falling behind by 12 points in the second, 26-14.

A buzzer-beater by Aldridge to end the first quarter put Cathedral ahead 17-8. An assist from Aldridge to freshman Ryan Gold Jr. for a 3-pointer that beat the halftime horn put the Irish up 32-25.

The third quarter, however, showcased Brebeuf’s newfound persona, one that included 11 straight wins prior to its first regional appearance since 2022.

Brebeuf chopped the deficit to a single possession with five 3-pointers in the third quarter and a 24-point frame. Cathedral charged back to lead by nine in the fourth, but Brebeuf refused to back down, going run for run.

“That’s what this group is capable of doing. From where we’ve started at the beginning of the year to where this group ended, the evolution, it’s kind of who we became,” Braves coach Allen Glunt said. “We wouldn’t have done this in December. I’m not sure we would have done it in early January, but the guys’ belief in one another and trust in one another, they’re never out of it, ever, against anybody.”

Junior Chace Ford led the Braves with a team-high 20 points (8-for-9 from the foul line), four rebounds and four assists.

Junior Chase Edmundson (13 points) shot 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and had three blocks, while senior Malachi Lesnet (9 points) and senior Austin Ford (7 points) supplied five rebounds and four assists. Junior Jayden Washington had 10 points.

Brebeuf forced 10 second-half turnovers and kept Smith (16.1 points per game) quiet with five points, but Aldridge (11 rebounds, six assists) and junior Braylon Pippens (15 points, five rebounds) answered.

Brebeuf converted seven 3-pointers overall.

“They shoot the three so well. They average 23 attempts a game. That’s what they do, and we knew that coming into it. They proved it today. That’s the great equalizer in this game,” Delaney said.

“It’s a rivalry game, and they’ve won 11 straight, so (coach Glunt) had them rolling. He had them prepared, and they never got rattled even when we took leads. They came back. They’re a great team and program.”

Cathedral won the day, beginning with a dunk by Pippens with 3:55 remaining. The two-handed jam ended an 8-0 Brebeuf run and put the Irish ahead 62-59.

The Braves took their first lead since the 5:10 mark in the first quarter on a 3-pointer by Lesnet and a pair of free throws by Chace Ford made it 66-64. An and-1 by Aldridge put Cathedral in front 67-66 with 1:22 left.

Chace Ford hit the first of two foul shots with 1:02 remaining, tying the game.

A Cathedral rebound and timeout with 20.6 seconds left set up the finale.

“Last year, we collapsed in a fourth quarter kind of like that one. We couldn’t pull it out,” Delaney said. “We had an 11-point lead with about 5 minutes to go against Attucks last year. We fell apart. We couldn’t recover, but for 365 days, these guys just stayed dedicated.”

Aldridge was ready to keep the counter running.

“It feels phenomenal. This is what you want. These are the type of games we like to play in, and it’s just all glory to God,” Aldridge said. “Senior year, last year, go home or win, so we did it. We knew if we kept composure, stopped turning the ball over, then we’d win.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA basketball: Aldridge scores on game winner, lifts Cathedral in regional

Czytaj dalej u źródła