Gorman gets early wish: A shot at No. 1 Oak Hill

Spencer Patterson

Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2000 | 9:59 a.m.

All they've wanted for Christmas is a shot at the champs.

For weeks, Bishop Gorman players have made no secret of their desire for a matchup with the nation's No. 1 team, Virginia basketball powerhouse Oak Hill Academy.

Thanks to a spirited come-from-behind win on Tuesday, the Gaels will get their wish: a chance to face the top-ranked Warriors tonight at 7:15 in the semifinals of the Powerade Holiday Prep Classic's elite Millennium Cup Tournament at Green Valley High School.

"(Teammate) Dinard Taylor and I have been talking about playing Oak Hill at school for a while, and people kept telling us we had to get there first," Gorman forward Justin Burns said. "Now we're there, and everybody has to bring their 'A' game."

The Gaels (8-0) reached the tournament's final four with a thrilling 76-75 win over Modesto Christian (Calif.) Tuesday. That came a day after a 70-64 overtime victory over Lanier (Texas) in round one.

Now, Nevada's defending 4A state champions come face-to-face with an Oak Hill program that has finished the past two seasons ranked No.1 in USA Today's Top 25 rankings, earning the school a mythical back-to-back national championship.

The Warriors are 11-0 this year and 447-31 in coach Steve Smith's 16 seasons at the helm, a winning percentage of .935. The school has sent countless graduates to college and professional ranks, including current NBA players Rod Strickland, Jerry Stackhouse and Ron Mercer.

This year's Oak Hill contingent is typically loaded with talent, from Syracuse-bound point guard Billy Edelin to Kentucky-bound sharpshooter Rashaad Carruth to 7-0, 310-pound center DeSagana Diop, a potential lottery pick in next summer's NBA draft.

The Millennium bracket appears headed toward a showdown between the Warriors and Mater Dei (Calif.), ranked No. 3 in USA Today, though Mater Dei opponent St. Mary's (Ariz.) or the Gaels could crash that party tonight.

"You can't find out how good you are until you play the best," Hubbard said. "These guys we played tonight are as athletic as Oak Hill, just maybe not as big."

Indeed, Gorman's win Tuesday night came at the expense of one of the tournament's most athletic teams, previously unbeaten Modesto Christian. The Crusaders (6-1) feature one of the nation's top guards in Chuck Hayes, and the solidly built 6-7 Kentucky signee did not disappoint, pouring in 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting and grabbing 16 rebounds.

Early on, it looked like Hayes and company would be too much for the Gaels, as the California squad built a 33-18 lead with two minutes remaining in the first half.

But the locals went on a 10-0 run to cut the lead to five by halftime, then got their fastbreak going in the second half to move ahead. Taylor and backcourt mate C.J. Watson pushed the ball through the Modesto press, and the Gaels finished plays far more often than not.

Burns, who spent the better part of Monday night's win riding the bench in Hubbard's doghouse, spearheaded the charge in this one, throwing down four dunks and connecting on a 3-pointer to get the crowd into the contest.

"He's capable of doing that every night, and that's why I've been after him all along," Hubbard said. "He's a big-time talent. He just doesn't know how to sustain it, and he doesn't know how good he can be."

When Watson connected on a 3-pointer with nine minutes remaining, Gorman suddenly held a 56-47 lead and appeared well on its way to the semifinals.

But the Crusaders were far from done, particularly 3-point specialist Richard Midgely. The guard calmly sank three shots from beyond the arc down the stretch, helping his team knot the contest at 70 with time winding down.

Moments later, however, Modesto's sharpshooter went from hero to goat. With the scored tied at 72 and 14 seconds remaining, Midgely grabbed Taylor's leg and hung on -- in plain view of two officials. The refs quickly called an intentional foul, Taylor converted the free throws and the Gaels received the ball out of bounds.

After Taylor made two more foul shots moments later, even a Hayes 3-pointer at the buzzer couldn't stop Gorman from advancing.

"That was the best we've played all year," Hubbard said. "We played well defensively, and we ran our offense and looked for the open things. We handled their pressure well, and we made them pay when they pressed us."

Taylor finished with 18 points to lead the Gaels, with Burns and Watson adding 17 apiece. Watson also dished out six assists and made four steals, while center Jason Carter added 12 points for the victors.