COLUMBIA, MO – The growth of 7-foot-3 sophomore Symon Ghai involves more than height, and the Vianney big man used the big stage of Mizzou Arena to show just how far he has come.
“Some of the guys were sending around videos of his early practices, and just thinking back to where he was two years ago to where he is now, is unbelievable,” Vianney coach Kevin Walsh said.
Ghai scored 22 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and added five blocks in powering Vianney to a 76-57 victory over Winnetonka in the Class 5 third-place game of the Show-Me-Showdown at Mizzou Arena.
The third-place state finish is the highest in Vianney basketball history.
“I think what is really special is that they’ll forever be tied to this, throughout the history of our school,” Walsh said. “They accomplished something pretty special. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Clinging to a two-point lead at halftime, Vianney (25-7) leaned on Ghai and his improved footwork and rebounding skill. The former soccer player from South Sudan collected several of his 10 offensive rebounds after intermission and either scored on putbacks, went to the free throw line or found open shooters on the perimeter.
He executed a nifty tip-in off a missed jumper and scored on a smooth step-through maneuver in the post. His most impressive feat was accepting a pass at midcourt, dribbling the rest of the way and dunking before a Winnetonka guard could catch him.
“His potential is so great for a young man of that size,” Walsh said. “His athleticism is so tremendous. He just continues to get better.”
Led by a 23-point performance by senior guard Dekyreone Coleman, Winnetonka (25-7) continued to stay within striking distance. A three-ball by Coleman, who also led the team in assists and rebounds, put Tonka ahead 46-44 midway through the third quarter.
But late in the quarter, Vianney switched to a 1-3-1 zone with Ghai and his extensive wingspan clogging up passing lanes. The strategical adjustment created uncertainty for Winnetonka as to how and where they wanted to attack.
“(Winnetonka) wanted to play fast. They wanted to get out and run, and our zone slowed them down,” senior Charlie Spoonhour said.
Vianney scored the final 12 points of the third quarter, and a Ghai putback to open the final frame built a 58-46 advantage for the Golden Griffins.
Eddie Smajic, who scored 22 points, and Luke Walsh who added 19 points and six assists, helped Vianney close out the game by combining to go 9-for-11 from the free throw line in the final nine minutes.
“We were pretty down (after the semifinal loss). We had bigger dreams, and to be able to respond, come back and win this game says a lot about our guys,” Kevin Walsh said.
The explosive Vianney run to end the third quarter was not the first blitz of points by a team during the game.
The Golden Griffins began the contest by missing three layups, yielded the first 10 points to Winnetonka and took a timeout less than 90 minutes into the game.
“No magic words, no magic message. I just said, ‘Hey, we’ve got to start playing,’” Kevin Walsh said.
They not only start playing, they dominated. Ghai converted a putback, Smajic and Luke Walsh each sank a pair of three-pointers, and in a four-minute span, Vianney went on a 16-0 run to grab a six-point lead.
“I’m super proud of our guys. Sometimes this third-place game can be a tough game to get up for, but I thought our guys really responded,” Kevin Walsh said. “I thought we played with great passion, and I thought we represented our program and our school really well.”
And the vast improvement of Ghai is symbolic of how far the Vianney program has come in a short time. Over the previous two seasons, the Golden Griffins achieved a .500 overall record and had a combined 3-13 mark in the formidable Metro Catholic Conference.
This season, Vianney eclipsed 20 wins for the first time since their fourth-place finish in 2012-13 and went 5-3 in conference, the best record since 2011-12 when the Griffins went undefeated in league play (27-2, 8-0).
“Going into the season, we had high expectations. We talked at the beginning of the season about wanting to win a state championship,” senior Teddy Ochs said. “Unfortunately, we fell short of that this year, but we still accomplished something. I’m really proud of my teammates and really thankful to be a part of such a great group of guys.”
Spoonhour added, “This really means a lot. I knew we were going to be good, and I just wanted to win. (The final four) is exactly where I wanted to be. I’m glad it all paid off.”
