Heartbreaker for Hayes: Pacers fall just short to St. Ignatius
Delaware's historic season ends with a 54-53 loss in the state semifinals
DAYTON, OH - It’s not a fair analogy to call Saturday’s Division I state semifinal between Delaware Hayes and Cleveland St. Ignatius a “David vs. Goliath” bout, given Hayes’ 27-1 record, along with two notable wins in the regional tournament against Hilliard Bradley and Olentangy Orange. Yet they were the new kids here, making the program’s first state tournament appearance and up against a battle-tested 24-3 Wildcats team that was in this position for the third time in four years.
Through four hard-fought quarters that saw a literal mix of blood, sweat and tears, the Pacers state debut appearance was a game to remember, but ultimately ended in a bittersweet memory after an Ignatius lay-in from Quinn Woidke with 13 seconds left gave the Wildcats a 54-53 lead. Hayes’ two attempts for a March Madness miracle were both off the mark as time expired.
For the first eight minutes, the Pacers looked the part of a team that needed some time to acclimate, while Ignatius stormed out to an 19-11 lead, as Hayes struggled against Ignatius’ length and went 4-of-15 from the field.
But known as a team that generally throughout the season played their best ball in the second half, the Pacers did just that as a 13-2 run in the third quarter allowed them to finish the third with a 43-39 lead.
