Back-to-back with a comeback, Central Catholic repeats as D4 champions

If the second time wasn’t sweeter, it was definitely harder.

The Central Catholic High boys basketball team erased a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter and forced overtime with three free throws by Amrit Dhaliwal with less than a second left, and then …

Well, then the gloves came off.

The top-seeded Raiders completed their Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV title defense with a 16-6 charge in overtime, celebrating an improbable 89-79 victory over No. 2 West Campus at the Spanos Center on the campus of the University of the Pacific.

“It’s about never quitting and never giving up,” Central Catholic coach Mike Wilson said. “That was a prime example of how you do it in sports. You just keep fighting and things went our way. Momentum-wise, things shifted toward us. The leadership was very good and I’m very proud of these guys.”

Seemingly in the driver’s seat, the Warriors were outscored 41-19 in the fourth quarter and overtime period. Jared Rice scored 21 of his game-high 29 points in the second half, Cooper Wilson closed with 26 on four 3-pointers, each seemingly deeper than the last, and Dhaliwal had 18.

Thick as thieves, the Raiders’ triumvirate stole a championship from West Campus, relying on faith, buckets and the school’s “We” culture.

“No matter what happened, we stayed together,” Dhaliwal said.

One year after snapping a 28-year drought between section titles with a 47-46 victory over West Campus at Sleep Train Arena, the Raiders needed a desperate comeback to keep the blue felt. And, of course, a little help from the Warriors, who missed seven straight free throws late in the fourth quarter to spark hope.

Over the final 12 minutes of the game, the Raiders put their shot-making ability on full display. Wilson hit a pull-up 3-pointer in transition from the Pershing Avenue off-ramp and Rice finished through contact for a three-point play in overtime, but the biggest shots belonged to Dhaliwal.

An unsung hero in last season’s section title run, Dhaliwal has developed into more than a long-range sniper. On Friday, he attacked the lane, raced out in transition, and when it mattered most, slowed his heart rate and sank the gimmies.

With time winding down and the Raiders’ hopes growing darker with each tick, Dhaliwal collected a tip-out at the top of the arc and launched. The shot was off the mark, but in West Campus’ rush to close out, the Warriors fouled Dhaliwal.

He made three free throws to send the game into overtime with 0.1 seconds left on the clock, sending the game into overtime. Wearing a sneaker autographed by Rick Barry, Dhaliwal channeled the Hall of Famer and legendary Golden State Warrior.

“I’m not going to lie, when I saw 0.1, I thought, ‘Screw me,’ ” said Dhaliwal, who rehearsed for the moment with blind free throws during the shootaround earlier in the day. “I just had to knock them down.”

From there, Central Catholic found another gear.

Cooper Wilson gave the Raiders their first lead since the 4:54 mark in the first quarter with a putback to make it 75-73. West Campus responded with two free throws by Eric Alston, but Central Catholic finished with a 14-4 charge.

The Raiders earned the right to defend their D-IV crown with runaway victories over Mountain House, Dixon and Ripon, but met their match in West Campus, a team that changed its identity over the last 12 months.

Last March, the Warriors were tethered to then-senior Isaiah Bates, a 6-foot-6 forward with bounce and swagger. Since then, West Campus has rebuilt on a foundation of sophomores, including Alston and 6-foot-5 Dee Juan Pruitt, and 6-9 junior Nate Karren.

Alston had 24 points before fouling out in overtime. Karren had 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots, while Inder Dhaliwal had 15 points on 4 of 5 shooting from the 3-point line.

Quincy Taylor chipped in 14 points for the Warriors, whose demise began at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. West Campus was 7 of 14 from the charity stripe over the final eight minutes, but those seven misses came in succession.

Cooper capitalized on the momentum swing.

The third-year varsity starter lipped in a 3 from the wing to pull Central Catholic within two, 69-67, and then made it a 71-70 with about 30 seconds left with another deep heave. Dhaliwal tight-roped the sideline, pushing the ball ahead to Cooper, who released from 25 feet with a hand in his face. Splash.

“Amrit came up to me when we were down 12 and said to focus,” Cooper said. “He said, ‘We’re going to need to hit a 3.’ That really helped.”

Rice said momentum shifted with Cooper’s confidence. West Campus surged ahead in the middle quarters while Cooper’s shot abandoned him, but in the fourth, Cooper helped flipped the scoreboard.

“When Cooper hit the front of the rim and it bounced a couple of times and went in, I said, ‘OK, we could really do this. We could actually win this game,’” Rice said. “That was one of the craziest games I’ve played in my entire life.”

This story was originally published March 3, 2017 at 6:47 PM with the headline "Back-to-back with a comeback, Central Catholic repeats as D4 champions."