Gavyn Carden's record-breaking night leads Pittsford to triple overtime win over Colts

HILLSDALE — After an overtime game between the Pittsford and Hillsdale Academy girls basketball teams the night before, it was fitting that the boys prep hoops game between the Wildcats and the Colts would repeat similar beats on Friday, Feb. 10. The Wildcats, reeling from a one-point defeat to St. Phillip and a blowout loss to Bellevue at home, traveled to Hillsdale Academy for their second game against the Colts this season.

Read Here: Pittsford girls basketball defeats Hillsdale Academy in overtime.

The two SCAA East rivals last met in Pittsford on Jan. 12, where the Colts pulled away for a 57-45 victory, stunning the then-undefeated Wildcats. The two 11-3 programs headed out onto the court for battle, and the result was one for the record books. A triple overtime game came down to the final minute of play, resulting in a Pittsford 71-66 victory.

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Similar starts, different endings

The Wildcats came storming out of the gate, hitting four 3-pointers in the first quarter; three were from junior Gavyn Carden and another one came from senior Kade Spahr. The Colts did what they could to keep up, feeding junior Dominic Scharer inside, who scored six in the quarter. The game began to have a similar thread to the first contest between the Colts and Wildcats, with Pittsford holding a 25-23 halftime lead. The Colts kept pace with the field shooting of the Wildcats in the second quarter, draining two 3-pointers. Andrew Spiegel had six first half points, all from threes.

In the third period, junior Gavyn Carden continued to take any open look he could get and hit two more threes and a total of 10 points in the quarter. Kade Spahr added another 3-pointer to his total. The Wildcats headed into the fourth with a 42-35 victory. Scharer added another six points for the Colts before the quarter buzzer sounded.

Again, the game began to play out similarly to the last matchup between the rivals, with Hillsdale Academy storming back in the fourth quarter and shutting down the Wildcat offense. Gavyn Carden managed to hit two 3-pointers to keep the Wildcats in the game. Three Colts had at least three points in the fourth quarter to help the team take the lead. Conner Welden had four points, Mikey Plemmons with three and Scharer with four. The Colts led 48-45 with 1:03 left in the game. The Wildcats took the ball up court, where Carden took a shot from beyond the arc, sinking the tying 3-pointer.

The Colts held onto the ball for much of the final minute of regulation, with coach Zach Miller taking a timeout to discuss what could have been the game winning play. The Colts could not convert in the final seconds, and the game headed to its first overtime quarter.

3-point shooting leads to additional overtime periods

The Colts and the Wildcats traded buckets in the first overtime period, with Carden sinking another 3-pointer. The Colts found themselves down 50-53 with 1:30 left in the overtime period, and senior Conner Welden drained a 3-pointer to tie the game. Once-again, the Colts had a shot at putting the game on ice, but the buzzer sounded, and the teams headed to another overtime period.

Plemmons and Spiegel would both hit a 3-pointer during the next two overtime periods. The game was tied 61-61 when the game went to an unprecedented third overtime period, reportedly the first of Pittsford head coach Mike Burger's career. The Wildcats relied on their 3-point shooting, with Carden hitting three more triples before the game was over and Kade Spahr hitting a triple and nailing two free throws. Senior Pat VanDusen had a crucial rebound in the third overtime period, and Bryce Williams had a defensive rebound to keep the Colts from regaining possession in the final minute of the game. The Colts had a few opportunities as time expired, but were unable to make any of them fall in.

The 71-66 final gave Pittsford their 12th win of the season. After a disappointing outing against Bellevue on Wednesday, the Wildcats had to rebound quickly, and coach Burger said the team responded well to the coaches' feedback heading into their second matchup this season with the Colts.

"Wednesday was a great learning opportunity for us going up against one of the best teams in the state at this level," said Burger. "I thought our kids were coachable, and they listened with open ears to what we were preaching as we prepped for Hillsdale Academy. Coach Miller does a fabulous job with the Colts' program, and they had their kids ready to go. We knew it was going to be a battle and we expected that and I'm proud of our kids for coming back from a tough Wednesday and really shining tonight."

The Academy defense showed up again in the second half, making things difficult for the Colts to finish the game. But, heading into overtime, coach Burger and the rest of the Wildcat staff told their players to trust their shots, even as both teams battled fatigue with each additional period of play.

"The Academy plays a great 1-3-1 defense, and they have great players. We talked about being shot ready and not being afraid of the moment because at that point everyone is tired. You just have to grind it out in the end, and we were able to make a couple more free throws than them."

Carden breaks the single game points record

Junior Gavyn Carden had a historic night helping his team earn a victory over their rivals. The junior scored 44 points, including 11 3-pointers (tying the school record for single game triples) . Carden's 44 points broke the school record for most points scored in a single game. The previous record was 41. Coach Burger said that Carden was confident with his three-point shooting when the Wildcats had to take a timeout in the final minute of the fourth quarter. With 1:19 left, down 45-48, the Wildcats needed a big play, and the new school record holder asked his team and coach for the opportunity from deep.

"When we had the ball with about a minute left to go, he said to me 'Coach, get me the ball', said Burger. "So, I drew up that flare in the corner for him, and Gage Gore set a great screen and Kade Spahr delivered the ball right in the shot pocket. He was able to knock it down and it was a heck of a shot. That really helped propel us over the edge and then we were able to make enough free throws down the stretch to eke out the victory. Gavyn is a great shooter and I think he might be one of the most improved players in the league. He's still learning to play the game and embrace those challenges, but he keeps taking steps forward and we are happy he's a Wildcat."

Carden was feeling good about his shooting ability before the game started, but he was still shocked at the final points total once the game-time adrenaline faded away. After the game against Bellevue, and the need to get revenge on their rivals, Carden said the team knew what it would have to take to accomplish their goals, and that fed their energy in the three overtime periods.

"We lost to the Academy earlier in the year and I just wanted to come in here and get it done," said Carden. "I knew I was going to have a good game because I was feeling it in warmups, but I didn't think it was going to be that good of a game. I kind of shocked myself. We didn't expect three overtimes, but stuff happens. We had to keep it positive in those overtimes, and we brought it back together and didn't keep each other down. That's the key for us: not keeping each other down."

That key to victory was a point of emphasis for Carden after the game was over, and he hopes that continues to be the driving force that propels the team to a strong finish to the regular season and a success March. Coach Burger also believes that the game will be crucial for the team going forward. Burger said that the overtime classic was a testament to both programs and how much they each invest into winning these important games.

"It's a big win for us," said Burger. "It's a rivalry game that brings out the best and worst in us, and I think it does for the Colts as well. That's why it means so much to the teams, because we invest so much in this game and we both want to win equally. That's why it's so sweet to be on the winning side of it, and I'm proud of our guys for getting the job done."

Kade Spahr had 15 points for the Wildcats, including three triples. VanDusen had four points; Lane Lewis had two; Legend Gore had two; Mason Payne had a triple and Bryce Wiliams made a crucial overtime free throw.

The Wildcats will enjoy the win over the weekend and pick things up on Monday. The Wildcats take one Will Carleton Academy at home on Tuesday, Feb. 14; game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. They face North Adams-Jerome on Friday, Feb. 17 on the road.

For head coach Zach Miller, the game was a great battle between both teams, and he was proud of his players' effort to keep grinding as they played through 12 minutes of extra time.

"It was a great battle and credit to Pittsford for making shots down the stretch," said Miller. "I'm proud of our boys for the fight they showed and the composure they had. Everyone was tired but they kept grinding. Obviously, you'd love to win games like this, but it was still a great experience for our boys, and we will learn from it for the future."

The Colts were led by Conner Welden with 23 points. Dominic Scharer had 19 points. Andrew Spiegel had 11 points. Mikey Plemmons had six points. Ridley Fast had five points. Benny Cote had two points.

Hillsdale Academy's four game win streak comes to an end with the Colts dropping to 11-4 overall. The Colts will play North Adams-Jerome on Feb. 15; game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The Colts will take on Camden-Frontier on Feb. 17 at home.

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This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale Academy boys prep hoops fall to Pittsford after 3 overtime periods