Gorman boys outlast Bulldogs in double overtime

Grant Rice was hoping the Bishop Gorman boys basketball team would face one more test to prepare for the postseason.

That’s exactly what the Gaels coach got on Thursday night. And it even lasted an extra eight minutes.

Stephen Zimmerman tied the game with 4.4 seconds remaining in regulation, and No. 1-ranked Gorman scored the final eight points of the second overtime to pull out a 79-71 victory over Centennial in the regular-season finale for both teams.

“This is a perfect scenario with the way it ended,” Rice said. “We need close games, especially going into the playoffs. Even though we won the league and haven’t lost to a Vegas team, we’re not invincible.”

The Gaels won the first meeting on Jan. 22 by the identical score.

Marcus Allen scored a game-high 32 points and added 11 rebounds to lead the fifth-ranked Bulldogs (19-8, 7-3 Southwest).

Malcolm Allen finished with 21 points, including a highlight-reel dunk near the end of the third quarter. Austin Turley had nine rebounds and battled inside with Zimmerman despite giving up nearly 11 inches to the 7-foot sophomore standout.

Centennial led 61-57 with 38.5 seconds left in regulation, but was unable to hold on. Zimmerman hit two free throws with 24 seconds on the clock, and then muscled his way to the hoop for the game-tying basket.

“My free throws have been off lately, but I was making them tonight,” said Zimmerman, who was 7-for-8 at the line on the way to 17 points. “I just had to build confidence. I’ve been slumping.”

In the first overtime, Malcolm Allen hit one of two foul shots with 14 seconds left to tie the score at 69. Gorman (24-3, 10-0) had a chance to win, but Noah Robotham’s 3-pointer at the buzzer fell short.

Marcus Allen tied the game at 71 early in the second overtime. The Bulldogs didn’t score again, though, and Trey Kennedy hit 4 of 6 free throws in the final 2:03 to help Gorman pull away.

“We had them (down), but they got a few back-door cuts and we had some lapses on D,” Marcus Allen said. “All we can do is keep our head up high and come back stronger. We’ll probably see them (in the Sunset Region final).”

Robotham led four Gaels in double figures with 19 points. Kennedy had 16 points and Rashad Muhammad chipped in 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Zimmerman added 14 rebounds, seven blocked shots and five assists, and he was especially effective in the extra periods.

Zimmerman had two blocks in the second overtime, including one in which he flew out to swat Chris DeBouck’s 3-pointer into the bleachers. He also had a key assist for Orr Leumi’s layup that put Gorman up 69-68 with 38.6 seconds to play in the first overtime.

“We have to help on him because he’s so big,” Marcus Allen said. “That spread the court out for them. Having a 7-footer is a big luxury in high school.”

Marcus Allen carried the Bulldogs in the first half, scoring 17 points. Gorman led 24-16 on Robotham’s 3-pointer before Centennial closed on a 13-4 run to take a 29-28 lead at the break.

The Bulldogs led by as many as six points in the third quarter and got a huge lift when Malcolm Allen’s one-handed, putback dunk cut Gorman’s lead to 45-43 with six seconds to go in the period.

“There’s no moral victories,” Centennial coach Todd Allen said. “To come in their place and take them to double overtime, they left it on the line. I’m proud of their effort.

“It came down to a possession or two and free throws. That’s how it was the first time we played them.”