Troy Nipped By Holy Cross In Overtime
By: Chris Manning | NTL Sports | March 8, 2025 | Photo courtesy Lance Larcom
TROY - The Troy boys' basketball team gave their fans one last thrilling contest on Saturday in their 72-68 over time loss to Holy Cross during the PIAA, Class AAA Boys' Basketball opening round.
The Trojans found themselves down 20-10 after one, but cut it to 34-26 at the half.
They used a 23-10 run in the third to take a 49-44 lead into the final frame. The Crusaders out scored them 20-15 in the fourth to take it into overtime, where they edged Troy, 8-4, to get the win.
"We got down big early, and the kids just made a decision to fight," said Troy coach Bob Woodward. "That's who they are. It was a gutsy performance. The kids left it all out there, they left it out there every day in practice, and they've been doing it for years. It's a pretty special group, and our community and school has a lot to be proud of. All of the kids from our team live inside our school district; they’re hometown kids, they’re not from anywhere else."
Lincoln Chimics led four Trojans in double figures with 20 points, to go with seven boards, and five assists, as Trey Teribury added 15 points, four boards, and three assists.
Evan Woodward finished with 13 points, four rebounds, and two steals, with Jack Burbage getting 12 points, and eight rebounds.
Spencer Martin notched five points, and five assists, off the bench, while Joseph Frye had three points, and eight rebounds, before fouling out.
Mike Hughes led Holy Cross with 21 points, as Matt Lyons scored 17. CJ Thompson, and Adam Badyrka notched 12 points apiece.
The Crusaders used a strong defensive presence to take a 13-2 lead early, with Troy rallying behind a 5-0 run as Burbage scored inside, and Chimics hit one from outside, to make it 13-7.
Holy Cross would finish the quarter on a 7-3 run for the 10-point lead at the first horn.
Back to back Teribury buckets would cut it to 22-15 a minute into the second quarter, but that was followed by an 8-0 Holy Cross run to take their biggest lead of the game, 30-15 with 4:41 on the clock.
Troy came back with a 6-0 run as Chimics had back to back buckets, followed by a Martin drive to cut it to 30-21 with 3:16 on the clock.
A pair of Holy Cross free throws ended that run, but Burbage answered back with a corner 3-ball for a 32-24 score.
A Crusader basket made it 34-24 but a Trojan bucket cut it to a 8-point game as the teams went to the locker rooms.
"I thought we were in good shape," coach Woodward said about them cutting the deficit to single digits before the half. "They were up eight, and we missed a lot of lay-ups in the first half. We felt kind of nervous, and once we got the nerves over with, I thought we were going to get this, and we put everything into it."
Holy Cross scored an initial free throw to start the third, but it was Troy going on an 11-0 run to take control of the game.
Chimics started off that run with a free throw, followed by a Woodward steal and lay-up.
Another Woodward bucket tied things up at 35-all, then Chimics scored inside for Troy’s first lead of the game with 5:39 left in the third.
Woodward added two more free throws for the 4-point lead.
Holy Cross answered with a 5-0 run themselves to retake the lead 40-39, but a Chimics drive, followed by a Burbage bucket, plus the foul, put the Trojans up 44-40.
The Crusaders cut it to 44-42, but free throws from Frye and Teribury pushed the Trojan lead to 49-42 late in the third. Holy Cross hit a pair of free throws just before the buzzer for a 5-point game.
Holy Cross added a bucket to start the fourth for a 49-46 game, but Woodward answered with a 3-0 run for a 6-point lead with 6:47 to play.
The Crusaders came back with eight straight points to go up 54-52 with less than a minute later, but a Chimics lay-up knotted things up at 54-all with 5:23 on the clock.
Holy Cross would hit a 3-ball for a 57-54 lead, but Troy rallied, scoring back to back buckets for a 58-57 lead with about three minutes to play.
A Crusader lay-up with 2:48 on the clock put them up by one, then with 44 seconds to play Hughes hit two freebies to make it a 3-point game.
Chimics came down, and was fouled, making both to cut it to 61-60 with 37.4 to go.
The free throw contest continued as Hughes added two more to push the lead back to three.
A driving Chimics lay-up at the other end made it a 1-point game again.
Troy fouled Lyons this time, who went 1-for-2 for a 64-62 lead.
At the other end Burbage drove the lane but the ball was blocked out of bounds with eight seconds to go.
A last second Troy shot rolled off, but Woodward crashed the boards, and got the put back to tie the game up at 64-all, sending it into overtime.
"He's gutsy," said coach Woodward. "Whenever we need something defensively, or need a steal, or need a charge taken, there's no question asked, he goes, and does it."
Hughes gave Holy Cross the lead off the tip, scoring a lay-up on their first possession of the extra period.
The teams would trade misses - two by Troy - until Hughes was fouled, and made both free throws for a 68-64 lead.
Woodward answered the call again for Troy, hitting a lay-up to cut the deficit to two.
Mario Matrone was sent to the line for the Crusaders, and he made both for a 70-66 score.
On Troy's ensuing possession Martin found Teribury for a bucket, showing Troy fans a glimpse of the future, to once again make it a 2-point game.
Holy Cross answered quickly as Thompson found Lyons for a lay-up to push the lead back to four, 72-68.
Troy would get a couple more chances to cut into the lead, but couldn't find the bucket.
For Troy's two youngsters this was an invaluable learning experience as they look to carry the Troy program into the future.
"It's tremendous," coach Woodward said. "You can't simulate district playoff, and state playoff experience any other time of year but when you're in it, and those two guys had great years for us. Both of those young guys are a delight to coach, and they put everything into it, just like the seniors did."
As for those seniors they leave quite the legacy. They've been the backbone of Troy's NTL titles, and deep playoff runs, over the last three years.
Woodward a 4-year starter, Burbage a 3-year starter, Chimics a 2-year starter, and Frye getting the nod this season after coming off the bench last year.
"These guys have won 39 league games in a row, and two out of three district titles," said Woodward. "They put everything into it, and sometimes you lose, and it doesn't take anything away from what these kids have earned, and they way they've done it, and represented our school district in an amazing fashion in our community. We're really proud of them."
