Blackshears Bucket Propels Gratz Past Germantown
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. -- Michael Blackshear made himself feel right at home on Saturday night at the Scholastic Play by Play Classic at Temple University.
Blackshear, a 6-6 forward from Simon Gratz who signed in the fall with Temple, tipped in an errant three pointer by guard Augustine Woodlin to propel the Bulldogs to a 55-53 victory over Germantown Academy at McGonigle Hall.
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Blackshear's basket was the capper to a terrific basketball contest between one of Philly's best public school programs against a parochial suburban juggernaut.
Germantown trailed for much of the second half until a pair of free throws from Matt Walsh gave the Patriots a 49-47 lead with 3:14 to play.
The Bulldogs forged a tie at 53 when 6-4 guard/swingman Maurice Collins knocked down a pull-up jumper with 1:38 to play.
With 1:23 to play, Walsh was fouled again, but he uncharacteristically missed a pair of free throws.
The game appeared headed to overtime until Blackshear's heroics. Woodlin fired off a tough shot to the left of the top of the key that missed wildly, but Blackshear scooped up the miss and converted to give the Bulldogs the win.
Collins, a lanky 6-4 senior who had impressed us this past summer with John Hardnett's Sonny Hill program, blazed the trail for Gratz with 25 points. Blackshear and Woodlin added 10 apiece in the win.
Walsh paced GA with 18 points. Guard Larry Sharp tallied 11 points and forward Lee Melchionni had nine in defeat.