NORWALK — Margaretta was looking for a spark when an inadvertent clashing of heads lit a fire.
Trailing by double-digits entering the fourth quarter, the second-seeded Polar Bears rallied for an emotional 60-54 win over top-seeded Crestview in a Division III district semifinal game at Norwalk High School.
Margaretta trailed 45-34 entering the fourth quarter, but it’s what happened in the closing seconds of the third that changed the complexion of the game.
Crestview’s Justice Thompson and Margaretta’s Judah Keller collided near the top of the key as Thompson tried to set a pick on Keller. Thompson’s chin made contact near Keller’s left eye, opening a deep gash just above the cheekbone.
Keller had the wound tended to between quarters and returned to the floor wearing a different jersey — he couldn’t wear his original jersey because it was stained with blood — with 6:34 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The sophomore point guard was greeted by a standing ovation from the Margaretta faithful when he re-entered the game.
“I just watched the tape. There was no way it was on purpose,” Keller said before leaving to have the injury stitched up at a nearby hospital. “It fired up our fans and the team.
“Our team thrives on emotion and that really sparked us.”
Margaretta trailed 45-36 when Keller returned to the floor. The Polar Bears (22-3) outscored the Cougars (22-2) 24-9 after the return of their emotional leader.
“More than Judah getting that injury was Judah coming back into the game. That really galvanized our guys,” said Margaretta coach and Judah’s father Scott Keller. “I just saw our guys fight.
“They didn’t worry about the outcome. They just wanted to compete.”
Crestview led 50-40 after Dylan Bruner hit a pair of free throws with 3:53 remaining before Margaretta made its move. A steal and layup by Julian Washington cut Crestview’s lead to 50-46 before Kaley Bailey knocked down a 3-pointer to make it a two-point game at 51-49 with 2:40 remaining.
Another Washington layup with 2:26 remaining pulled Margaretta even at 51-51 before Tate Bailey’s short jumper gave the Polar Bears a 53-51 lead with 1:33 remaining.
“When Judah came back in, it was an emotional push,” Crestview coach John Kurtz said. “Then they ratcheted up the defense a little bit. We weren’t getting very good looks in the fourth.
“I don’t think our defense was that bad, but we were not getting good enough shots and not taking enough time to get them.”
Thompson’s potential game-tying layup was blocked by Washington, who corralled the loose ball and dribbled the length of the floor before dishing off to Gage Bodey for an uncontested layup and a 55-51 lead with 1:11 remaining.
Crestview cut the Margaretta lead to 55-54 when Thompson split a pair of free throws and Tyson Ringler scored on a layup with 42 seconds left.
The Polar Bears advanced the ball into the front court before eventually calling timeout. Bodey scored on a layup and was fouled on a perfectly-executed inbounds play underneath the basket and the ensuing free throw gave Margaretta a 58-54 lead with 21.8 seconds left.
“Gage executed it perfectly. We wanted to get it in, but we knew if they sold out to take away the corner, that seal back to the ball might be there,” Scott Keller said. “It was huge because it made it a two-possession game.”
Crestview’s desperation 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds remaining was off the mark and Tate Bailey’s two free throws with 2.5 second left sealed it.
Washington led the Polar Bears with a game-high 24 points. Bodey added 13.
Thompson paced the Cougars with 21 points. Bruner, Wells, Jarek Ringler and Karter Goon each scored seven.
The loss brought an end to the best season in Crestview’s history. The Cougars won a program-record 22 games.
“The first thing we told our kids is thee of the past four years we’ve been to the district which is really unheard-of for this school,” Kurtz said. “This year, having just the one loss during the regular season, it speaks volumes to the seniors and the dedication they had.”