Curtis eliminated at SCI on final heartbreaking 3-ball

4/6/2023

(Washington DC) The Curtis Vikings capped off their season with their 2nd straight state 4A boys Championship on Saturday, March 4 when they defeated the Olympia Bears. The Vikings were one of 12 teams to finish their season with a Championship in the State of Washington but the Vikings were then invited to play in the State Champions Invitation in Washington DC this weekend in a single elimination tournament against other state champions.

The SCI is a 6 team tournament with the top 2 teams getting a bye and seeds 3-6 playing in the quarterfinals. Curtis was ranked 5th and was paired with the New Jersey state champions, Roselle Catholic. The Vikings and Roselle Catholic played at 3p pacific time in the John Thompson Jr Athletic complex at Georgetown University.

Curtis played exceptional in this game winning 3 of the 4 quarters, holding the lead for more than 17 minutes of the game to Roselle Catholic’s 10 and half minutes of having a lead. Curtis led by as many as 6 midway through the 2nd quarter. Curtis’s defense is their mainstay and again was on display but tight officiating was not a friend to the Vikings in this one as they racked up 10 personal fouls in the 1st half and 23 for the game. They were 11 of 14 from the foul line but Roselle Catholic made 27 of 36 for a lopsided free throw stat.

Despite the number of free throws R-C shot the Vikings used their offensive consistency to lead for most of the game with Jr Zoom Diallo leading the way with 12 in the 1st half and finishing with 25 for the game and that included at least 4 minutes on the bench after picking up his 4th foul in the 3rd quarter.

Devin Whitten would help make up the free-throw disparity by hitting for 24 going 7 of 13 from behind the 3-point arc and his other 3 points an old fashioned 3-point play with a lay-in +1 for 24 total. Whitten had 9 in the 1st half as did Sr Tyce Paulsen. Curtis led 38-35 at the half.

The 3rd quarter is what cost the Vikings as R-C outscored the Vikings for the only time in a quarter 25-18. Diallo missed the final 2 minutes and R-C surged at that point and kept up the pressure extending their lead to 6 early in the 4th quarter.

Curtis did a great job of staying close with both Whitten and Paulsen hitting key shots while Sr Cinque Maxwell’s brilliant defense continued to shine while Diallo waited to get back in off the bench. Once Diallo did he scored 5 unanswered points and giving the lead back to Curtis. The Vikings built it back to a 4 point lead with less than a minute to play.

Roselle-Catholic then tied the game but coming back Simeon Wilcher, a North Carolina commit, fouled Diallo and also fouled out of the game with 12.5 seconds to play. Diallo missed his 1st attempt but then swished his 2nd attempt giving Curtis an 82-81 lead with just 12.5 seconds to play.

Curtis coach Tim Kelly took a time out to set up a defense and to remind his players not to foul. It looked like it would work as the clock ticked down to less than 5 seconds when Sebastian Robinson passed the ball to Chris Pierre Louis who took a step in then kicked it back to Robinson who then drained a 3-ball from the left elbow behind the college and NBA 3-point line with just 2.5 seconds to play. Maxwell launched a halfcourt+ shot at the buzzer that was off track to end the game in a heartbreaking manner.

Diallo led the Vikings with 25 points with 1 deep ball and 8-9 from the line, added 4 boards, 8 assists and a steal. Paulsen finished with 18 with 3 long balls, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. Whitten led the Vikings in rebounds with 5 to go with his 24 points, dished out 4 assists and had a steal. Maxwell filled up his stat line as usual with 8 points but 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocked shots. Xavier Ahrens had 4 points and 4 rebounds, Josiah Johnson scored 2 with 2 rebounds and an assist and a steal in his 10 minutes of playing time. Bilal El Ghalemi and Rocco Koch each had 1 point and a rebound. Isaac Bacon and Brandon Logan also both got into the game.

The loss is only the 4th of the year for Curtis and they graduate starters Tyce Paulsen whose going to Point Loma Nazarene in San Diego and Cinque Maxwell who is still weighing his options. They will also graduate their 6th and 7th men Josiah Johnson and Bilal El Ghalemi. However, the Vikings will surely be in the mix for a run at a 3rd straight State Championship led by Zoom Diallo with Devin Whitten and Xavier Ahrens both returning as well.

The State Champions Invitational was no doubt a great experience for the entire team despite the tough last second loss. Getting to play on a National stage in front of a trove of college hoop scouts and coaches including Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari. Curtis showed they belonged on the National stage and represented Washington State High School basketball well and the Vikings have much to be proud of, we congratulate the Vikings on an outstanding season and effort at the SCI.