For Saxony Lutheran boys coach Justin Callahan and his team is was the same old story.
Saxony failed to make shots in crunch time, especially in the extra period as the Crusaders fell to Notre Dame 57-50 in overtime on Friday, spoiling the Saxony homecoming.
“We played hard,” Callhan said of his team. “We are 10-6 and all six of the losses, we have been right there. We haven’t been able to step up in the fourth quarter and make plays. It always seems llike the game is right there for us and then all the sudden it gets away from us.”
It looked like Friday would be different for Saxony as they battled back from a six-point deficit with four minutes left in regulation.
Timely free throws by Brayden Moore and Owen Buchheit and others allowed Saxony to stay close, despite poor shooting from both teams in the game. Notre Dame’s Brett Dohogne missed one of two throws in the final five seconds to give Saxony hope late down 47-45 in the waning moments. Saxony senior Luke Eggemeyer got loose on the ensuing inbounds play and scored a lay-up with less than one second left in regulation, tying the game at 47-47.
Saxony senior John Hartmann scored to tie the game at 49-49 in the opening minute of the overtime period, but that was it for the Crusaders.
Saxony scored just one point the rest of the game, being outscored 10-3 in overtime.
“We had so many chances that we were not able to captialize on,” Callahan said.
Eggemeyer had 18 for the Crusaders to lead Saxony in scoring, while Hartmann had 17. Buchheit added six points in the game.