TOWN AND COUNTRY – Cardinal Ritter prides itself on lockdown defense.
Charges drawn, turnovers forced, and shots blocked have been staples in the Lions’ run of four state titles in five seasons. But after losing eight seniors off last year’s Class 6 championship team, Cardinal Ritter lost its defensive edge, and subsequently, lost plenty of games.
“We’ve been struggling all year to be consistent defensively. We’ve been working steadily and repeatedly to try to figure out a way to get stops,” Cardinal Ritter coach Ryan Johnson said.
In the fourth quarter against CBC on Thursday, the Lions figured it out, and then some.
Cardinal Ritter yielded only one field goal and forced a slew of live-ball turnovers to break open a close game in the Lions 66-46 victory over CBC Thursday at DC Wilcutt Gymnasium.
Cardinal Ritter (8-14), which snapped a four-game losing streak, held a team under 50 points for only the second time in the last 16 games.
“It’s just about growth,” Johnson said. “We’ve got goals set in our minds, but right now we’re not quite there. Today was a better day.”
CBC (12-10) trailed 47-41 after a putback by CBC senior Nick Muessig preceded the third quarter buzzer, but any momentum gained was quickly squashed by the intensity of the Cardinal Ritter defense.
Led by senior Oscar Patterson, the Lions trapped dribblers, deflected passes and swarmed loose balls.
“We were focusing on the defensive end, trying to get steals and transition buckets,” Patterson said. “We were pressuring them and it led to turnovers and layups.”
The layup brigade started with a strong drive by junior Ismaeel Isidor and a putback by Patterson, who led the Lions with 18 points. A steal by Donovan Meads led to a 2-on-1 that Danny Winston dropped in the hoop, as Cardinal Ritter went on a 12-0 run in the opening four minutes while only allowing CBC one shot attempt.
“I thought they did a really good job in the fourth quarter of pressuring us and taking us out of what we were trying to accomplish,” CBC coach Sam Briscoe said.
Cardinal Ritter went on a similar, explosive run to open the game. Six different Lions scored in a 14-3 blitz as the Lions’ quickness forced the CBC defense into scramble mode.
“I thought early we were getting beat off the dribble too much and that put us in rotations, and when you’re in rotations, it’s hard to keep things in front, it’s hard to rebound,” Briscoe said.
Briscoe changed to a 2-3 zone and it slowed down Cardinal Ritter. The Lions’ settled for perimeter shots, and other than sophomore Devin Rice, who connected on four triples in the first half, the Lions came up empty from the outside.
CBC played without leading scorer Devin Houston, who averages 22.1 points per game. Briscoe said Houston is “dealing with some bumps and bruises, but we’re hoping to get him back soon.”
The absence of Houston forced other Cadets to generate offense, and freshman Braiden Alford obliged, draining a trio of three-pointers in the first half to help CBC pull within 35-32 at halftime.
“We went zone, and we were able to hold down defensively until we could start making some shots. Braiden Alford really stepped up and ignited us, and we were able to crawl back in the game,” Briscoe said.
In all, freshmen accounted for 17 of the Cadets’ 32 first half points.
“It’s all part of the ‘next man up’ mentality, and when your number’s called, giving everything you’ve got,” Briscoe said.
Cardinal Ritter came out of the halftime locker room with a different strategy to attack the CBC zone. The Lions’ attacked the interior with high-low passes between 6-foot-8 juniors Gabriel Sanford and Isidor. A backscreen lob to Patterson helped Cardinal Ritter build a seven-point advantage early in the third quarter.
“The main goal was to attack the basket, get our teammates open, drive and kick, and our shots started to fall,” Patterson said.
Another three by Alford and a strong drive by senior Nikola Radovic, who led CBC with 13 points, helped the Cadets stay within striking distance. But an overwhelming 19-5 fourth quarter by Cardinal Ritter proved a strong reminder of why the Lions’ remain a dangerous opponent come the postseason.
“We settled a little bit (for outside shots), but in the end we settled down, our defense took over and it allowed our offense to work,” Johnson said.
For Patterson, the only remaining player from the 2023 state championship team, the journey to a possible three-peat starts with him.
“I have the role of leader and the one that’s going to do the dirty work – rebounding, passing, scoring – anything that’s going to help my team,” Patterson said. “We just want to keep winning. We have the goal of going back to state and winning a third title in a row.”
With an 8-14 overall record, that may seem an impossibility, but Cardinal Ritter started the season with a 4-10 record last season before winning a second consecutive state title and its fourth in the previous five years.
“The season is really practice. That’s how we look at it,” Johnson said. “All these hard games and tough opponents, you’re figuring out how to play together and jelling.
When the playoffs start, that’s your real season.”
Photo gallery at: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/Boys-Basketball-Photos/Boys-Basketball-2024-25/Cardinal-Ritter-at-CBC-2-13-25
Photo gallery from Cardinal Ritter’s 2024 state championship game: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/Boys-Basketball-Photos/Boys-Basketball-2023-24/Cardinal-Ritter-vs-Chaminade-3-16-2024