No matter what the score says, the eight point win doesn’t indicate how close this game really was. The Bishop McGuinness Fighting Irish and Carl Albert Titans put on a show for the fans at McCarthy Gymnasium on Saturday night. It was one to remember, and none could be prouder than the Irish. After taking care of business against the Guthrie Blue Jays and Deer Creek Antlers, McGuinness had to keep their focus, and finish the job. Coach Durham’s boys did that and much more.

The Irish started the game with an early lead as usual. McGuinness’ Jameel Whitney was a sight to see, and kept things rolling for the green and white. His contributions, along with solid play from Kevin Caruthers and Joe Edmonds, made Titan fans get nervous early on. There were points in my mind that the Irish could have taken advantage of a Carl Albert team who struggled at times to make shots. However, the Irish made uncharacteristic mistakes, and were unable to hit a few chip shots here and there.

The pace of the game felt slow at first, but it picked up when Carl Albert started their push towards taking the lead. The Titans cut the deficit to 3 by the half, 29-26. McGuinness’ perimeter defense wasn’t enough to cover some sharp-shooters off the Carl Albert squad. Luckily, Coach Durham didn’t have to limit anyone’s playing time. The Irish made sure they kept out of foul trouble, and it was the Titans toward the end who picked up the majority of the game’s fouls.

Speaking of fouls, the Irish did a great job of picking up easy points from the line. A team that can’t shoot foul shots is doomed to fail. Although big plays can also lead to a team’s loss. For a disappointed Titan team it was Jameel Whitney’s emphatic block on a attempted Titan shot. This play sent the Irish student section in a frenzy. With a few minutes to spare in overtime, McGuinness was hacked on every possession, and sent to the charity line too many times to count.

It was game over for the Titans, and the Irish took the championship trophy for the 50th Annual Love’s Travel Stops McGuinness Classic. A title well deserved. Whether the Irish needed a three point shot, Jameel Whitney or Kevin Caruthers provided that. When the Irish needed down-low pressure, Zach Murphy and Joe Edmonds made it no easy task to score from the post. When the Irish needed motivation, the crowd was there to get loud.

It was an A+ effort from Bishop McGuinness, and after three nights of basketball, I don’t think these incredible performances by the Irish are going to slow up any time soon. 4A better make room for McGuinness in state title talk, as they beat three 5A teams, three nights in a row. The scary thing is, they didn’t need Matt Christiansen causing havoc. If that doesn’t make 4A teams quiver with fear, I don’t know what would.

McGuinness is back in action on January 12, 2009. At 8:00 PM, Stillwater comes to the big city, and the Irish look to keep up their win streak. Come down to McCarthy Gymnasium for all the action, and remember to be LOUD! If you can’t make it, follow @IrishOnDeck on Twitter!