Flashback: Kevin Hamilton's Heroics Lead St. Vincent-St. Mary to Victory Against CVCA
The Play by Play Classic at the Canton Civic Center saw a thrilling basketball contest between Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary and Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (CVCA). The game started with St. Vincent-St. Mary leading 9-6 with 2:33 left in the first quarter. CVCA senior Jonathan Fridline hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 9. The back and forth continued as St. Vincent-St. Mary's Junior Guard Jayson Walker responded with a deep 2-pointer, but Fridline hit two more 3-pointers to close out the first quarter, giving CVCA a 15-11 lead.
In the second quarter, CVCA's superstar sophomore guard Darryn Peterson scored an "and-1" bucket, making the score 20-13. St. Vincent-St. Mary's senior point guard Kevin Hamilton tried to close the gap, but Peterson had other plans, hitting a 3-pointer that put CVCA ahead 25-16 with 2:55 left in the half. Not one to be outdone, Hamilton responded with a 3-pointer, followed by a steal and layup, making the score 29-27. And to cap off the run with seconds to go, Hamilton proved he's the clutch player his team needed by nailing a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that sent the St. Vincent-St. Mary fans into a frenzy and gave them the lead at halftime, 30-29.
The second half started with a bang as Torell Hopson hit a 3-pointer, but Peterson's circus shot tied the game. St. Vincent-St. Mary's Jayson Walker responded with a 3-pointer, and Hamilton stole the show with a 3-pointer and a fast break layup. Sir Charles Gordon added two more fast break buckets, extending the lead to 47-40. Peterson fought back with a monster dunk and an up-and-under layup, ending the third quarter with a score of 50-45 in favor of St. Vincent-St. Mary.
In the fourth quarter, Peterson continued to put his team on his back, but his team-high 28 points were not enough to take down the Irish. Kevin Hamilton scored 23 points, and Jayson Walker added 13 points, helping the Irish pull off the victory despite not having their star guard, LA Hayes, in the lineup. The final score was 62-52, with St. Vincent-St. Mary finishing the season with a 17-5 record and CVCA closing out with a 16-6 record.
Overall, it was an exciting and competitive game between two talented teams. Both teams gave their best efforts, but St. Vincent-St. Mary was able to come out on top thanks to the strong performances of Hamilton and Walker.