Patriots rally to win

Down 60-59 to Grace Academy with 20.9 seconds to go Tuesday night, Arts & Sciences turned to Coach Dragoo for a play. Only it was assistant coach Zachary Dragoo -- not father Mark -- who drew up the winning combination.

Alex Stallion hit a baseline jump shot with six seconds remaining and followed that up with a steal to cap the Patriots' 61-60 victory, keeping their 50-plus-game district win streak intact and sealing the District 6-A championship.

Stallion's shot gave CSAS (19-6, 9-0) its first lead of the game and capped a 9-1 run over the final two minutes by the Patriots.

"We were lucky to get out with a win," Mark Dragoo said. "I told the guys at halftime that this was their game and if they wanted it, they were going to have to take it."

The Golden Eagles (17-5, 8-2) held a 22-15 lead after a quarter and led 33-31 at halftime, making a living at the foul line where they were 14-for-17 in the first half. Arts & Sciences trimmed the lead to one on a couple of occasions in the third quarter, but Brandon Herman scored five points to finish the period -- including a 3 at the buzzer -- to make Grace's lead 50-44.

Herman had nine points in the third quarter and 23 for the game. His floater in the lane put the Golden Eagles up six in the fourth, and then after a steal Corey Nelson was fouled and hit one of two free throws to make it 59-52 with 3:53 to play.

The Patriots never quit, though. A layup off a cut by Jackson Lenoir trimmed the lead to 59-54, and Stallion hit a 3 to cut the deficit to two. CSAS switched to a zone-trapping defense and forced a steal, and Andrew Ball hit a layup to tie the game at 59.

Grace put the ball in Herman's hands, and he was fouled with 22.8 seconds to go. He went to the line and hit the second of two free throws.

"I didn't like how we executed down the stretch," Grace coach Jon Mattheiss said. "That's something we're going to have to work on in the future, to prepare for tournament time."

Said Dragoo: "It was important for our seniors to keep that streak. Tthey take that legacy seriously. We told them that they would remember whatever they do in the second half, and I know they'll remember this."