- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,170,861
- Reaction score
- 59
INDIANAPOLIS – The Cathedral Irish waited 365 days for a chance to cement their legacy, and they didn’t let the opportunity slip away on Saturday night.
Motivated by last year’s early postseason exit in the sectional semifinals, the Irish played their game during the IHSAA Class 3A boys basketball state championship against New Haven inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
And their style entailed one word, “Move!”
From the opening tip to the final horn, the third-ranked Irish (25-5) went full throttle on offense and defense, and the result was a third state title in program history and second in five years with a 71-61 victory.
“We learned a lot as the season went on, and again, 365 days we had to wait to have an opportunity and these guys took full advantage of it from a year ago,” Cathedral coach Jason Delaney said. “I’m just proud of them.”
The Irish adopted the mantra, “365 days” for their 2025-26 campaign after losing to rival Indianapolis Crispus Attucks, 59-54, in last year’s sectional tournament.
The setback wasn’t just season-ending for Cathedral. It stung, and it fueled their focus despite adversity at every corner, as they marched toward a 365-day timeline to downtown Indianapolis.
Throughout their 365-day journey injuries cropped up, and this past summer the unexpected transfer of their former starting point guard Cash Daniels to Carmel added another obstacle to overcome.
However, much like their whiplash slugfest with the New Haven Bulldogs (22-8), their fortitude kept them moving.
“Last year was a heartbreaker. I can’t tell you how bad that hurt. Blowing that lead in the fourth quarter when you think it’s your year. That hurt,” Delaney said. “Summer ball, we played really well, and then we had a curveball thrown at us, our starting point guard leaves. There were a lot of curveballs thrown at us, and the way these guys just kept battling. Nothing fazed them.”
The Bulldogs tried to by mirroring the Irish’s persona. Though, it wasn’t too difficult given New Haven’s ingrained knack for ramping up pressure on both ends of the court, which propelled them to their first-ever State Finals appearance.
A team built on athleticism and speed, New Haven matched Cathedral’s intensity and desire to turn their 32-minute game into a full sprint.
Neither team called a timeout until the third quarter with Cathedral going first at the 6:02 mark in the frame before New Haven did the same with 2:45 left.
A handful of media timeouts and two quarter breaks provided the lone moments of reprieve, as both teams were in their element, trading runs, turnovers and waves of dominance.
Cathedral broke the first of six ties overall early in the first quarter with a 14-2 run to seize a 19-7 lead capped by back-to-back 3-pointers by senior Julien Smith and a layup from junior Owen Peterson.
New Haven trailed by 12 points but shifted into high gear and cut the deficit to 19-15 before freshman Jayden Kennedy tipped in a putback in the final second to put Cathedral ahead 21-15 after the opening quarter.
“Being able to have a good start like that, it helps with the entire game. Luckily for us, we stayed consistent throughout the whole game,” said Smith, who finished with a game-high 21 points and nine rebounds. “We stayed fighting. Whether they went on a run, whether we went on a run, we stayed fighting and we stayed together.”
The battle never stopped, as Cathedral broke a 22-22 tie in the second quarter with a 15-7 run to lead 37-29 by halftime with neither team willing to call time.
“Even with our backs against the wall tonight, we talked about four rounds. We’re throwing body blows for three rounds, and then in the fourth round, we throw a knockout punch,” Delaney said. “The coaches always give me a hard time about holding onto my timeouts. I mean, that’s part of the body blows. That’s why we practice the way we do.”
Practice is where the Irish honed their bodies for high-octane hoops, particularly their season.
Opening the year 7-0, Cathedral dropped three straight to 4A state finalist Crown Point, Princeton (Ohio) and 4A Carmel in late December and early January. After the Carmel loss on Jan. 3, Delaney and his staff turned up the heat at practice with one goal.
Wear out the competition and keep moving.
“It comes first with coaches’ practices. Just keep running even when we’re tired. You just got to keep on playing all game, through all the defensive drills we do. We barely get water breaks because we just keep going,” Cathedral senior Keaton Aldridge said. “That helps you because in games, you don’t need water. You can’t get water. You just have to have endurance and knowing that they’re going to get tired, and that we still have energy to keep going. I think that’s what won us the game tonight.”
Aldridge was one of four Irish that finished in double figures. The 6-foot-3 Detroit Mercy commit had a double-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Junior Skylar Rodgers added 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and five steals. Peterson also had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds and two blocks.
New Haven set a 3A State Finals record with eight blocks, while both teams combined to set a 3A record for most blocked shots at 14.
The Bulldogs generated 22 points off 16 turnovers by Cathedral. The Irish netted 14 points off New Haven’s 14 turnovers, while the Bulldogs won the battle in the paint 36-30 with 11 lead changes in the game.
Cathedral pulled in 45 rebounds (24 defensive) compared to New Haven’s 32 (19 defensive). Both teams deadlocked with eight steals apiece.
Junior Tarvar Baskerville posted a team-high 20 points with five steals for New Haven, followed by senior Jadrien Ezell with 15 points and three rebounds. Junior Lavell Ledbetter had nine points and seven rebounds with three assists.
“Credit to New Haven. They’re an outstanding program. Coach (Brandon Appleton) is really building something special there. They didn’t get here by coincidence. They’re here because they deserve to be here, and I think they’re going to be a force coming from the north, not just, you know, this year, but upcoming years,” Delaney said.
The Irish earned their spot after knocking off No. 10 Brebeuf Jesuit, 69-67, at the Martinsville Regional before eliminating both No. 2 Princeton Community, 85-64, and No. 1 Silver Creek, 73-68, at the Seymour Semi-State.
This season, the Irish didn’t lose to a single 3A opponent, averaged 77.4 points per game to become the state’s second-best scoring offense and overcame deficits against Silver Creek and Crispus Attucks during the state tournament to reach the state championship.
“I think those games prepared us a lot for the adversity. Us overcoming it. Playing together tough,” Aldridge said. “Keep fighting no matter what until the buzzer ends. I think most definitely those games prepared us for this moment.”
Free throws proved the deciding factor despite Cathedral struggling by going 6 of 14 from the foul line through the first three quarters. A 15-for-22 performance in the fourth, including 10 of 14 in the last 2:51 of the game, put them at 58 percent (21 of 36).
New Haven shot 14 of 17 from the free-throw line.
“We spent a lot of time on free throws, and today, it didn’t look like that. We left the door open because of that, too. We could have closed the door, I think, sooner, but again, some nights it’s just not going to go in,” Delaney said. “Some of them rattled in and out, and you’ve got to find a way to win.”
The foul line supplied 12 of Cathedral’s final 18 points and helped them overtake New Haven, which led 55-53 with 6:45 remaining.
“Waiting 365 days for this moment, we’ve been working hard during that time, so just trusting in the work that we put in and our teammates helped us,” Cathedral senior R’Mani Wells said. “We knew that we would finish it.”
The impact felt from past Cathedral state champions from the 2022 (4A) team played a part.
“These guys, who they’ve been around. Keaton was around Jake Davis, who’s playing in the Elite Eight. He was around Jaron Tibbs and Xavier Booker. Those guys are texting today and stuff,” Delaney said. “Julien and R’Mani were around Deric Cannady, who was part of that state championship team and all those guys.”
Now, the 2025-26 Irish are the same.
“That’s part of their legacy, and what they’re going to leave now with these younger guys. They all lend beautifully in their own way,” said Delaney, who has four state titles in his 22-year career at three different schools. “That’s part of the legacy.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA basketball: Cathedral owns fourth quarter beats New Haven in 3A
Continue reading...
Motivated by last year’s early postseason exit in the sectional semifinals, the Irish played their game during the IHSAA Class 3A boys basketball state championship against New Haven inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
And their style entailed one word, “Move!”
From the opening tip to the final horn, the third-ranked Irish (25-5) went full throttle on offense and defense, and the result was a third state title in program history and second in five years with a 71-61 victory.
“We learned a lot as the season went on, and again, 365 days we had to wait to have an opportunity and these guys took full advantage of it from a year ago,” Cathedral coach Jason Delaney said. “I’m just proud of them.”
The Irish adopted the mantra, “365 days” for their 2025-26 campaign after losing to rival Indianapolis Crispus Attucks, 59-54, in last year’s sectional tournament.
The setback wasn’t just season-ending for Cathedral. It stung, and it fueled their focus despite adversity at every corner, as they marched toward a 365-day timeline to downtown Indianapolis.
Throughout their 365-day journey injuries cropped up, and this past summer the unexpected transfer of their former starting point guard Cash Daniels to Carmel added another obstacle to overcome.
However, much like their whiplash slugfest with the New Haven Bulldogs (22-8), their fortitude kept them moving.
“Last year was a heartbreaker. I can’t tell you how bad that hurt. Blowing that lead in the fourth quarter when you think it’s your year. That hurt,” Delaney said. “Summer ball, we played really well, and then we had a curveball thrown at us, our starting point guard leaves. There were a lot of curveballs thrown at us, and the way these guys just kept battling. Nothing fazed them.”
The Bulldogs tried to by mirroring the Irish’s persona. Though, it wasn’t too difficult given New Haven’s ingrained knack for ramping up pressure on both ends of the court, which propelled them to their first-ever State Finals appearance.
A team built on athleticism and speed, New Haven matched Cathedral’s intensity and desire to turn their 32-minute game into a full sprint.
Neither team called a timeout until the third quarter with Cathedral going first at the 6:02 mark in the frame before New Haven did the same with 2:45 left.
A handful of media timeouts and two quarter breaks provided the lone moments of reprieve, as both teams were in their element, trading runs, turnovers and waves of dominance.
Cathedral broke the first of six ties overall early in the first quarter with a 14-2 run to seize a 19-7 lead capped by back-to-back 3-pointers by senior Julien Smith and a layup from junior Owen Peterson.
New Haven trailed by 12 points but shifted into high gear and cut the deficit to 19-15 before freshman Jayden Kennedy tipped in a putback in the final second to put Cathedral ahead 21-15 after the opening quarter.
“Being able to have a good start like that, it helps with the entire game. Luckily for us, we stayed consistent throughout the whole game,” said Smith, who finished with a game-high 21 points and nine rebounds. “We stayed fighting. Whether they went on a run, whether we went on a run, we stayed fighting and we stayed together.”
The battle never stopped, as Cathedral broke a 22-22 tie in the second quarter with a 15-7 run to lead 37-29 by halftime with neither team willing to call time.
“Even with our backs against the wall tonight, we talked about four rounds. We’re throwing body blows for three rounds, and then in the fourth round, we throw a knockout punch,” Delaney said. “The coaches always give me a hard time about holding onto my timeouts. I mean, that’s part of the body blows. That’s why we practice the way we do.”
Practice is where the Irish honed their bodies for high-octane hoops, particularly their season.
Opening the year 7-0, Cathedral dropped three straight to 4A state finalist Crown Point, Princeton (Ohio) and 4A Carmel in late December and early January. After the Carmel loss on Jan. 3, Delaney and his staff turned up the heat at practice with one goal.
Wear out the competition and keep moving.
“It comes first with coaches’ practices. Just keep running even when we’re tired. You just got to keep on playing all game, through all the defensive drills we do. We barely get water breaks because we just keep going,” Cathedral senior Keaton Aldridge said. “That helps you because in games, you don’t need water. You can’t get water. You just have to have endurance and knowing that they’re going to get tired, and that we still have energy to keep going. I think that’s what won us the game tonight.”
Aldridge was one of four Irish that finished in double figures. The 6-foot-3 Detroit Mercy commit had a double-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Junior Skylar Rodgers added 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and five steals. Peterson also had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds and two blocks.
New Haven set a 3A State Finals record with eight blocks, while both teams combined to set a 3A record for most blocked shots at 14.
The Bulldogs generated 22 points off 16 turnovers by Cathedral. The Irish netted 14 points off New Haven’s 14 turnovers, while the Bulldogs won the battle in the paint 36-30 with 11 lead changes in the game.
Cathedral pulled in 45 rebounds (24 defensive) compared to New Haven’s 32 (19 defensive). Both teams deadlocked with eight steals apiece.
Junior Tarvar Baskerville posted a team-high 20 points with five steals for New Haven, followed by senior Jadrien Ezell with 15 points and three rebounds. Junior Lavell Ledbetter had nine points and seven rebounds with three assists.
“Credit to New Haven. They’re an outstanding program. Coach (Brandon Appleton) is really building something special there. They didn’t get here by coincidence. They’re here because they deserve to be here, and I think they’re going to be a force coming from the north, not just, you know, this year, but upcoming years,” Delaney said.
The Irish earned their spot after knocking off No. 10 Brebeuf Jesuit, 69-67, at the Martinsville Regional before eliminating both No. 2 Princeton Community, 85-64, and No. 1 Silver Creek, 73-68, at the Seymour Semi-State.
This season, the Irish didn’t lose to a single 3A opponent, averaged 77.4 points per game to become the state’s second-best scoring offense and overcame deficits against Silver Creek and Crispus Attucks during the state tournament to reach the state championship.
“I think those games prepared us a lot for the adversity. Us overcoming it. Playing together tough,” Aldridge said. “Keep fighting no matter what until the buzzer ends. I think most definitely those games prepared us for this moment.”
Free throws proved the deciding factor despite Cathedral struggling by going 6 of 14 from the foul line through the first three quarters. A 15-for-22 performance in the fourth, including 10 of 14 in the last 2:51 of the game, put them at 58 percent (21 of 36).
New Haven shot 14 of 17 from the free-throw line.
“We spent a lot of time on free throws, and today, it didn’t look like that. We left the door open because of that, too. We could have closed the door, I think, sooner, but again, some nights it’s just not going to go in,” Delaney said. “Some of them rattled in and out, and you’ve got to find a way to win.”
The foul line supplied 12 of Cathedral’s final 18 points and helped them overtake New Haven, which led 55-53 with 6:45 remaining.
“Waiting 365 days for this moment, we’ve been working hard during that time, so just trusting in the work that we put in and our teammates helped us,” Cathedral senior R’Mani Wells said. “We knew that we would finish it.”
The impact felt from past Cathedral state champions from the 2022 (4A) team played a part.
“These guys, who they’ve been around. Keaton was around Jake Davis, who’s playing in the Elite Eight. He was around Jaron Tibbs and Xavier Booker. Those guys are texting today and stuff,” Delaney said. “Julien and R’Mani were around Deric Cannady, who was part of that state championship team and all those guys.”
Now, the 2025-26 Irish are the same.
“That’s part of their legacy, and what they’re going to leave now with these younger guys. They all lend beautifully in their own way,” said Delaney, who has four state titles in his 22-year career at three different schools. “That’s part of the legacy.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA basketball: Cathedral owns fourth quarter beats New Haven in 3A
Continue reading...
