Catholic League Playoff Recaps, 2003-04
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NORTH PRE-PLAYOFF
   Wood 70, North Catholic 55: The Vikings stormed to a 21-1 lead while claiming the first postseason win in the program's 38-year CL history. They'd been 0-10, with all of the losses in quarterfinals. Matt Spadafora shot 6-for-8 and 8-for-8 for 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Tim Walters added 17 points and nine boards. Mike Piselli (11) and John Gwiazdowsi provided 19 points off the bench. Freshman Andrew Pomager (17) and Chalie Evans (14) led North. Evans had missed the last four games of the regular season after suffering an ankle injury.
QUARTERFINALS
Doubleheaders at La Salle Univ. on Back-to-Back Days
   La Salle 45, Ryan 43: The Explorers survived despite going roughly 14 minutes without a field goal. That drought ended when Nick Shattuck hit a shot with 4:48 left in the third quarter. Shattuck (21) was the only Explorer with more than seven points and his short bank shot, off an inbound pass from Colin Fitzgerald (five assists), broke a 43-43 tie with 6.2 seconds remaining. A late trey by star sophomore Joe Zeglinski was a shade off. With 10, Shattuck had four more rebounds than anyone else in the game. Jim Welsh (13) and Joe Mullin (11) led Ryan.
   Dougherty 66, Wood 63 (2 OTs): The Cardinals avoided what likely would have been considered the second biggest upset in CL playoff history -- behind only the win by North's JV over McDevitt in 1968 -- when sub Kyle Sample took a pass from Tim Smith (17 points, three assists) and swished a right-corner trey with 2.1 seconds showing. Smith then batted away Wood's final inbound pass. Dougherty was just the third team in CL history to go perfect for two straight seasons and was the area's No. 1-ranked team. Wood entered 0-10 in regular playoffs and just two nights earlier had finally tasted postseason success, downing North in a pre-playoff. Dougherty trailed, 54-49, with 35 seconds left in regulation, but got to OT on a follow by Shane Clark (12 points, 1,009 for career) and a trey by 6-7 center DeSean White. Wood point guard Matt Spadafora had 16 points and 14 rebounds. Rob Pearson (15), Tim Walters and Brian Klumpp (14 apiece) also scored in double figures and Klumpp's trey on a pass from Corey Filer created a 63-63 tie with 0:26 showing in the second OT. Kyle Lowry added 10 points for Dougherty before fouling out with 2:17 left in the first OT.
   Neumann 57, Roman 47: David Burton scored just six points, but didn't mind thanks to large contributions in the rebound (15) and blocked shot (six) categories. After two misses by teammates, sub Derrick "D.J." Rivera (nine points) hustled for a follow and three-point play with 1:06 left to provide a 50-46 lead. Richard "Tabby" Cunningham had 16 points, four assists and three steals. Adon El had 11 points and eight boards. Roman franchise Charron Fisher mixed 16 points and nine boards.
   SJ Prep 70, West Catholic 50: Chris Clark, just 5-8, contributed 16 points, 11 assists, six steals and even seven rebounds as the Hawks coasted. Soph Reggie Redding added 15 points, 15 rebounds and three steals. John Griffin and Mike Kearney (6-for-8) had 13 points apiece. Despite severe foul trouble, West's Marshall Taylor tallied 19 points, 12 boards, three assists and three steals.
SEMIFINALS
Back-to-back nights at La Salle University
   Dougherty 66, Neumann 62: The Cardinals once again flirted with disaster, but managed to escape. This time they had a 17-point lead after three quarters and saw it dwindle all the way to two as Neumann frosh Antonio "Scoop" Jardine buried a left-wing trey with 1:10 left. Guard Kyle Lowry had 18 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three steals and hit four free throws down the stretch to sandwich a basket by Neumann's David Burton (12 points, 11 rebounds). Dougherty's Shane Clark had 20 points in the first half, then took just one shot thereafter (25 points). Three of his four blocks came in the last 90 seconds. DeSean White had 14 points and seven boards before fouling out with 4:10 left. Neumann's Richard "Tabby" Cunningham had 10 points (957 career) and six assists. There were 47 fouls and 63 free throws.
   SJ Prep 59, La Salle 52: The Explorers had to go without their franchise forward, Nick Shattuck, who suffered an ankle injury in practice the day before. They jumped to a 7-0 lead and remained in serious contention into the third quarter. Reggie Redding (16), Mike Kearney (season-high 15) and John Griffin (12) led The Prep; Redding added nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. Chris Clark had four assists and no turnovers. Ryan Kirk (17) and Colin Fitzgerald (11) topped La Salle.
FINAL
At La Salle University
   SJ Prep 84, Dougherty 61: Again the arena was packed beyond belief, again many were turned away, and again The Prep knocked off a team considered to have more talent. The Hawks' guards, wing John Griffin (27) and point Chris Clark (25), combined to shoot 15-for-21 (floor), 5-for-7 (treys) and 17-for-18 (line) while pacing overall performances, same order, of 27-for-44, 7-for-12 and 23-for-29. The Prep, which made 17 of its first 24 shots, closed out the first half with a 9-0 run to take a 30-22 lead. It began the second half with a 14-7 run, then dominated from there. Reggie Redding (16) and Mike Kearney (10) also scored in double figures. Clark (five) and Griffin, a Bucknell signee, combined for nine assists. Coach William "Speedy" Morris lifted his CL title total to eight. Tim Smith (16), DeSean White and Shane Clark (14 apiece) led Dougherty. White (Providence), Clark and Kyle Lowry (both Villanova) were committed to D-I programs.