Devils Take Down Another WCAL Foe

University is aiming to sweep San Francisco's WCAL teams.

University head basketball coach Randy Bessolo fancies his program as “The City’s fourth WCAL team.”

With Tuesday’s 17-point comeback and 64-60 win over Sacred Heart Cathedral, his Red Devils have beaten two of San Francisco’s WCAL titans, and they’ll have a chance at a sweep on Saturday.

“We know when we get down in these big games, we can come back,” said senior guard Gus Parsons. “We aim to be the best in The City.”

University (4-1) trailed the Fightin’ Irish 31-14 midway through the second quarter after surrendering a 21-2 run, but cut the lead to eight by halftime and drew even with 4:38 left in the third quarter. The lead then changed hands three times before University took the lead for good on Will Perkins’ three-point play with 2:02 left.

Perkins finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, including six points in the final stretch and 13 across the second half. Full-court pressure led to his steal and layup with 1:18 left to put the hosts up 61-58, and though his 3-pointer missed after University ran the shot clock down on the following possession, he made one of two free throws after Jordan Chau’s critical offensive rebound. The Devils then gave two fouls before conceding a Fed Pernell layup with 7.9 left, and Parsons made two free throws with 6.5 left to ice the game.

University had already beaten Riordan 73-63 on Saturday in the championship game of the 64th Crusader Classic. The Devils will host St. Ignatius (3-1) this Saturday in the “No BS Classic,” a moniker for the yearly meeting created by Bessolo and his good friend, Wildcats head coach Jason Greenfield.

“Our number one goal every year is to be the best team in The City,” Bessolo said. “Whenever we have these city WCAL games, they’re battles, and we’re looking forward to Saturday.”

Despite squandering a 17-point lead, Sacred Heart Cathedral (3-1) certainly didn’t lose any fans on Tuesday night. A lack of depth and an inability to finish around the rim proved to be the Fightin’ Irish’s undoing, but their ability to score in transition and their aggressive zone defense gave University fits.

SHC went on a 10-0 run late in the first quarter before allowing a pair of Cole Boake free throws, then scored the first 11 points of the second, holding the Devils scoreless for nearly five minutes.

But Lucas Lau’s 3-pointer and a pair of Boake and-1s helped University close the second quarter on an 11-2 run, and the Devils tied the game at 36 on a Gus Fried free throw. Boake hit a three with 2:54 left in the third to give the hosts their first lead since it was 12-10, and Perkins followed with a layup after the press led to a Trevor Tarm steal.

“We want to play fast, and they had a tremendous gameplan to slow us down and guard the paint,” Bessolo said. “We needed to speed it up, and we did that with pressure, and we did that by shooting more threes.”

Mykel Patton scored on back-to-back possessions to put the Irish up 42-41, and SHC took a 46-44 lead into the final quarter after a pair of Jonah Goorin free throws. Pernell scored four of his team-high 20 points to give the visitors a 52-46 edge, but University responded by scoring 10 straight. Fried converted a three-point play after a late whistle, Parsons made two of three free throws after getting fouled on a shot from the corner, Tarm scored off a steal for the lead and Boake sank his fourth and final 3-pointer to make it 56-52 with 3:17 to play.

The Irish countered once again, with Pernell scoring in the paint and Jack Kennedy blocking a shot, then scoring off a Pernell assist to tie the game with 2:19 left.

Pernell, a first team all-WCAL guard as a junior, finished the night with seven rebounds and six assists. Goorin tallied nine points and seven rebounds, while Kennedy, Patton and backup forward Gil Falcone scored eight apiece. Zemaury Erfe finished with seven points and four assists.

Boake led all scorers with 22, while Parsons matched Goorin’s line with nine points, seven boards and three assists. Tarm scored seven off the bench, while Fried finished with six points, five rebounds and five assists.

Dating back to last December’s memorable overtime win against the Irish, University has now won five straight games against WCAL foes. The Devils also beat St. Ignatius and Serra last December.