HUDSON: Hudson sophomore Kevin Zullo only made one shot against Kent Roosevelt on Tuesday night.
It just happened to be a game-winning 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds left in overtime to lift the Explorers over the visiting Rough Riders 69-68.
“Before we went out onto the floor coach [Jeff] Brink told me to win the game,” Zullo said. “I caught it and felt confident.”
Earlier in the year, Zullo was struggling so much he was sent down to the junior varsity team. When that happened, Brink told Zullo he’d win a game for the Explorers this season.
His prophecy finally came true.
“When we sent him down I told him, ‘You can be down, you can be mopey, or you can take advantage,’ ” Brink said. “[We knew he was] capable of making those shots under pressure.”
Just 15 seconds earlier, Hudson (11-8) trailed by four and needed a big play to get within reach.
Junior Zack Brandy (15 points, 10 rebounds) drove to the basket as several Roosevelt defenders followed, leaving junior Alex Mushock — normally a post player — wide open. Mushock drained a 3-pointer to cut Roosevelt’s lead to one point.
“He’s a better shooter than people give him credit for,” Brink said of Mushock, who led the Explorers with 17 points and five rebounds. “Being a post guy, he ends up getting more looks inside.”
Roosevelt senior Richard Graves (16 points) was then fouled and made 1-of-2 free throws, opening the door for Zullo’s once-foretold game-winner.
The Explorers, though, certainly left the door open for Roosevelt (13-5) in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter.
Hudson missed four free throws in the final 65 seconds that could have put the game away.
Roosevelt drew within one point and fouled Mushock with 6.4 seconds left. Mushock made both, extending Hudson’s lead to 60-57.
Roosevelt junior Randall Berkley caught the in-bounds pass, weaved his way through traffic and drilled a 3-pointer as the buzzer went off to send the game to overtime. Berkley scored a team-high 17 points and made three 3-pointers in the final 2:45 of play.
Brink knows the frustration of missed free throws late in games all too well.
“[Free-throw shooting has] been a negative for us all year,” Brink said. “It’s something we’re not really proud of. It could [have] bit us in the butt tonight.”
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Also follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/RyanLewis83. Follow ABJ sports on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
