From the beginning of the Ladue High School varsity basketball season, Ladue basketball fans hoped that this year would be one of the team’s best.
Their hopes were realized Jan. 11 when Ladue upset CBC, the No. 2-ranked team in St. Louis, 60-58.
Ladue began the game hot with three straight threes by junior point guard Cornell Johnston, junior forward Andrew Maddock, and sophomore forward Jeremy Loftin to take an early lead. However, CBC came raging back with a strong start by senior guard Zach Fischer to take a four point lead going into the second quarter. Fischer finished the game with 16 points.
The game got slightly out of hand in the second quarter as CBC went on a run that saw them up by 12 points at one point during the quarter. Johnston, who finished the game with 16 points, rallied Ladue throughout the quarter and Maddock hit a three pointer just before the end of the half to give Ladue a 33-31 lead.
Though Johnston didn’t play as well in the second half, he was backed up by Maddock and senior forward Austin DaGue who earned 20 and 10 points respectively. But CBC stayed close and led by a small marigin during much of the second half. CBC had a two point lead with less than a minute left in the game before Loftin hit his second three of the game with 16 seconds to play.
Junior guard Connor Spirtas then executed perhaps the biggest play of the game when he stepped in front of CBC’s junior star Jordan Barnett’s drive to the basket and took the charge, giving Ladue possession of the ball, and preventing Barnett from making a shot, which would’ve tied the game. After DaGue was fouled, he made one of two free throws to give Ladue a 60-58 lead. But it wasn’t over until a CBC layup attempt rolled off the rim and the Ladue cheering section stormed the court in what is certainly Ladue’s biggest win this season, and one of the biggest wins for any team in the program.
“Wow, this is unbelievable,” Johnston said after the game. “We just had so many guys step up for us tonight. I’m just so proud of my teammates tonight. We all played with all our hearts tonight.” #
