July 15, 2008 — The defending-champion Hoyas are showing everyone in the Choices Basketball Association League that they are not ready to go gentle into that good night, as they took down yet another hot upstart team Monday night — the previously undefeated Lakers — 76-75 at the Central High School Gym.
This game was arguably the most exciting of the season, with fans for both teams screaming their approval. The teams exchanged leads some six times in the last two minutes. In the end, though, it would be a defensive breakdown by the Lakers that cost them the game. Twice they took the lead in the waning minutes only to see the Hoyas retake the lead on breakaway layups. The final breakaway layup by the Hoyas' Eddie "Hot Sauce" Castillo, after the Lakers had taken the lead with 16 seconds, proved to be the dagger.
The teams played an evenly matched first half, with the Lakers enjoying a two-point lead at the break, 37-35. The big story for the Lakers — along with good team defense — was "Sugar" Shane Hodge, who started the game on fire with 10 first-quarter points and six in the second period for a total of 16 first-half points.
The defending champs opened the second half on a 13-8 run to take their first lead of the game at 48-45. They would maintain control of the game mostly because of the excellent play of one of their star players, Karl John. He exploded for 11 third-quarter points to help propel his squad to the lead. After a three-pointer by Castillo, the Hoyas would enjoy their biggest lead, eight points, at 55-47. They ended the third quarter with a seven-point lead at 56-49.
Robert Duck got hot for the Lakers in the fourth quarter, and he and Hodge poured in eight points apiece to bring the Lakers right back into the game. The Lakers had appeared to catch a huge break at the 5:30 mark when John was ejected for aggressively arguing a call by one of the referees. They trailed at the time by six at 67-61.
Consecutive baskets by Hodge and Rondel Harris brought the Lakers to within two at 67-65 with 3:27 left in the game. After an exchange of baskets, Duck tied the game at 69 on a put-back dunk. Three straight points by the Hoyas gave them the lead again at 72-69. Hodge then scored to make the score 72-71. A turnover and a foul put the Lakers' Jerome Nathaniel at the foul line to shoot two free throws. He made both shots to give his team the lead at 73-72, to the delight of his team's loudly cheering fans.
However, the Lakers did not get back on defense after the made basket, and Castillo was down on the other end collecting a long pass from Hendricks for an easy layup, giving the Hoyas the lead with 35 seconds left. Hodge would then swoop to the basket on the Lakers' next possession to give the lead back to his team at 75-74. But again the Lakers failed to get back on defense, and with 13 seconds left in the game Castillo was on the other end of another long Hoyas pass for an easy layup — the game clincher this time.
With John out of the game, the Hoyas had to turn to their other star players, Castillo and Darnell Hendricks, to provide the offense down the stretch, and they did not disappoint. Hendricks hit six of six clutch free throws down the stretch, and Castillo scored the last two baskets for the Hoyas on breakaway layups to help put away the Lakers.
The Hoyas had three players netting 20 points in the game in the persons of Castillo, Hendricks, and John. John also had four blocks and four steals on the night. For the Lakers, "Sugar" Shane poured in a game-high 29 points and hauled down eight boards, while Duck netted 17 points with 14 rebounds and five assists.
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