BUNKER — St. Vincent went toe-to-toe with the best team on its schedule — and for four quarters, the Indians proved they belonged.
In the end, however, Class 1’s top-ranked team made the key plays in overtime, as Bunker pulled away for a 71-65 overtime win over St. Vincent on Feb. 13 in the People’s Community Bank Shootout. Bunker improved to 22-1, while the Indians fell to 17-6.
“This was a very well-played game for this time of year,” said St. Vincent coach Bruce Valleroy. “We battled from start to finish. I’m very proud of our effort.”
The Indians showed early they wouldn’t be intimidated. St. Vincent led 14-12 after the first quarter and extended that advantage to 33- 27 by halftime behind strong perimeter shooting and balanced scoring.
Bunker responded in the third quarter, outscoring St. Vincent 15- 11 to cut the deficit to two points heading into the fourth. The Eagles eventually took the lead late, but the Indians refused to go away.
Trailing by three with about 15 seconds remaining, Colden Prost delivered one of the biggest shots of the night, knocking down a clutch three-pointer to tie the game and force overtime.
“When Colden hit that shot to tie it up, our bench and everybody on the court was jumping up and down,” Valleroy said. “That was a big moment for us.”
St. Vincent then came up with a defensive stop in the final seconds of regulation, forcing a difficult shot to extend the game.
But overtime belonged to Bunker.
The Eagles’ point guard took control, repeatedly attacking the basket and drawing fouls. Bunker converted 14-of-17 free throws on the night, including six in overtime, to outscore St. Vincent 14-8 in the extra period and secure the win.
“They kind of took over in overtime,” Valleroy said. “You’ve got to give them credit. Their point guard is a really good player, and he just kept attacking.”
Prost led St. Vincent with 22 points, including five three-pointers, while Liam Nations added 14 and Clay Ellis scored 11. Case Huber finished with nine points and six assists, and Max Wheeler added six points and eight rebounds.
Bunker placed four players in double figures, led by Brennen Meloy with 27 points and Jayton Skaggs with 16.
Despite the loss, St. Vincent shot well, connecting on 16 three-pointers and finishing at 48 percent from the field, while matching Bunker on the boards and holding its own physically against a bigger lineup.
“When Max only scored six, and we still had a ballgame all the way through, that says a lot about our other guys stepping up,” Valleroy said.
For St. Vincent, the night served as both a measuring stick and a confidence boost
“They’re ranked No. 1 in Class 1, and you can see why,” Valleroy said. “They’ve got some really good players. But we hung with them all the way through.”
In a game that featured playoff intensity and little margin for error, the Indians showed they could compete with anyone — even if the final result didn’t fall their way.
ST. VINCENT 68, GRANDVIEW 29
HILLSBORO — St. Vincent didn’t leave much doubt Friday night.
Behind hot perimeter shooting and balanced scoring, the Indians rolled past Grandview 68-29 on Feb. 13, clinching the Jefferson County Athletic Association small school conference title outright in the process.
St. Vincent took control early, building a 14-6 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 39-18 by halftime. The Indians never let Grandview back into the game, holding the Eagles to just two points in the fourth quarter while continuing to build separation.
“We had control pretty well from the start,” said St. Vincent coach Bruce Valleroy. “We had 10 threes that night, went 7-for-7 from the free-throw line and had seven kids score for us.”
That balance showed throughout the lineup. Max Wheeler led the Indians with 19 points, while Colden Prost added 15. Case Huber finished with 11, Clay Ellis and Liam Nations scored nine apiece, and Cain Clifton and Quinton Whistler also contributed as St. Vincent shot 51 percent from the field.
Defense played an equally important role. St. Vincent limited Grandview to 29.5 percent shooting and forced turnovers that led to easy scoring opportunities. The Indians also held a 20-5 advantage in assists, reflecting their unselfish offensive approach.
The victory secured the conference championship outright for St. Vincent, which finished 4-0 in small school conference play.
“We don’t like to share it with anybody,” Valleroy said. “We want to win it outright.”
On Saturday, the Indians held a ceremony at home, allowing players from all levels of the program to share in the moment by cutting down the net — a reflection of the team-first culture that has fueled their success.
ST. VINCENT 60, HERCULANEUM 37
HERCULANEUM — St. Vincent controlled the game from start to finish Tuesday night, but the biggest moment came late in the fourth quarter.
With a basket in the closing minutes, senior Colden Prost reached a milestone few players in program history have achieved, scoring his 1,000th career point as the Indians rolled to a 60-37 win over Herculaneum on Feb. 10.
“It was a very good defensive game again,” said St. Vincent coach Bruce Valleroy. “They’ve got a couple kids that can score, and we made it tough for them.”
The Indians set the tone early, building a 12-8 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 26-14 by halftime. Herculaneum made a brief push in the third, but St. Vincent maintained control and pulled away with a 20-7 advantage in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Balanced scoring led the way for the Indians. Max Wheeler finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Prost added 14 points in his milestone performance. Clay Ellis contributed 10 points, and Case Huber chipped in five as St. Vincent shot 48.1 percent from the field and dominated the paint with 32 points inside.
The milestone basket placed Prost in exclusive company. According to Valleroy, only four players in school history have reached the 1,000-point mark, with Prost and Wheeler both accomplishing the feat this season.
Defensively, the Indians limited Herculaneum to 34.1 percent shooting and just seven points in the fourth quarter, using pressure and rebounding to prevent any comeback attempt.
For St. Vincent, the win was another example of the team’s balance and defensive consistency — and a night highlighted by a moment that reflected years of hard work.
“It’s a special accomplishment,” Valleroy said. “He’s earned it.”
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JV EXTENDS STREAK
In boys’ junior varsity action, St. Vincent won three games last week, extending their winning streak to five games and improving to 11-6 on the season.
On Feb. 10, the JV Indians beat Herculaneum 49-39, then topped Jefferson 55-22, and wrapped up the week with a 56-23 victory over Grandview.
All three wins came on the road.
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