WASHINGTON, DC - The Saint Ignatius Wildcats continued their campaign by traveling to the nation's capital, Washington, DC, to play in the Gonzaga DC Classic. Gonzaga College High School hosted the eight-team tournament, which featured four teams from the DC area and four from around the country.
The Cats' first matchup came against the host school, the #2 nationally ranked Gonzaga Eagles. The Eagles, headlined by Xavier University commit Nyk Lewis and Virginia Tech commit Christian Gurdak, would be the toughest challenge the Cats have faced this season.
Saint Ignatius matched the Eagles pace throughout the first half, and ended it on an 11-2 run to trail 33-30 at the break. But, the size and speed of the Eagles proved to be a catalyst for the defending OHSAA state champions, as they pulled away in the second half, and took the victory 77-54. This victory snapped the Cat's aspirations of breaking the program record for most consecutive wins and tying the 1986-87 teams with 18.
Although the loss to Gonzaga eliminated the Wildcats from playing for the championship, they still had two more games to play during the trip. Their next contest came against Lane Tech (IL). The Champions, headlined by University of Penn commit Dalton Scantlebury, went into the match with a 5-4 record.
The Wildcats pranced on the Champions early, opening with a 19-2 run. They continued this dominance throughout the first half and led at the break.
For the Wildcats, Alex Mack scored 11 points and cashed in three triples. Also, Kalli Johnson added nine, and Quinn Woidke was the leading scorer with 16.
The Wildcats were smooth sailing in the second half, and closed out the defensive heavy game, winning 64-40. Thismarked a milestone for Head Basketball Coach Cam Joyce, who would win his 100th career game. Joining legendary names in Wildcat Hoops history that include Marty Chambers, John Wirtz, and Brian Becker '77, who won over 100 games as head coach of the program.
As the trip ended, the Wildcats fought to win fifth place in the DC Classic, as they played against Coolidge (DC). University of Dayton Commit Damon Friery was hot out of the gate, scoring the game's first nine points for the Cats.
The Colts, however, pushed the pace the entire game. They scored most of their points in transition, catching the Wildcats off guard. The backcourt duo of Makiah Gray and Quentin Cooper added 12 and 14, respectively, for the Colts.
But, Coolidge couldn't match the well-oiled machine that was the Wildcat offense. Woidke and Friery ended the game with 27 points apiece, with Woidke canning six triples. The Wildcats closed their trip with an 83-67 victory over the Colts, improving their record to 5-1 on the season.
The Wildcats will be back in action next weekend. They will play a home game against Akron Garfield on Saturday, December 21, at 3:00 p.m., and all basketball alums will be recognized at halftime in Sullivan Gym. Then, the Cats will travel to Columbus to play Reynoldsburg on Sunday, December 22, at 6:50 p.m. In last season's game, the Wildcats and Raiders went into double overtime, and the Wildcats pulled out a 98-97 victory in an instant classic. Both games will be live on the SIBN.
