St. Laurence’s Bradley Stratton took a hard fall on his right hand during the first quarter of Tuesday’s game.
When the senior guard went to the bench to get it taped up, sophomore guard Reggie Stevens replaced him and had a hot hand. Stratton’s playing time was limited the rest of the night, but he was OK with that.
“It’s just all about winning,” Stratton said. “I’m extremely proud of the way Reggie came off the bench and was ready to go. He gave us a spark to help us win the game.
“I just waited for my opportunity. I knew it was going to come.”
Indeed, it did. Stratton knocked down a huge 3-pointer at the start of overtime for his only points of the game, putting the host Vikings ahead for good on their way to a 61-59 win over Brother Rice in a Catholic League crossover in Burbank.
Zerrick Johnson scored 17 points, including 11 between the fourth quarter and overtime, and pulled down seven rebounds to lead St. Laurence (23-5). EJ Mosley finished with 16 points, Stevens chipped in with 13 and Jacob Rice added nine.
Citadel recruit Marcos Gonzales led Brother Rice (23-5) with 21 points. Jack Weigus, who returned after missing Saturday’s loss to West Aurora with an injury, scored 18 points. Caden Workman ended up with 16 points and eight rebounds.
Stratton broke free in the opening moments of overtime and buried that 3-pointer to give St. Laurence momentum.
The long spell on the bench didn’t affect him, either.
“I have a lot of trust in my work,” Stratton said. “I’ve gotten up thousands of shots in my career, and it was just like any other shot. I have complete trust in my capabilities.
“Credit to my teammates for finding me.”
Stratton said his hand bent back when he landed on it early in the game.
“It was hurting at first but it wasn’t really bothering me after that,” he said.
The biggest points of the game were Stratton’s first of the night. He had taken just one shot in the game before the big moment, but St. Laurence coach Roshawn Russell fully expected his senior standout to deliver when it mattered.
“Brad is resilient,” Russell said. “Before the season, he told me he’d do whatever is necessary for the team, whether it was starting or coming off the bench. I knew he’d be ready no matter what, and he made a huge shot for us.”
St. Laurence held on to the lead the rest of the way. Down 61-59, Brother Rice had one last chance on an inbounds play with nine-tenths of a second remaining. The Crusaders executed well and got a great look for Workman, but his potential tying shot rimmed out.
The Vikings got their statement win.
“This means a lot,” Johnson said. “We might see them at state, possibly, if we get through our opponents and they get through their opponents. We just want to show the other competitors in 3A that we’re there and we’re competing for that state championship.”
Stratton’s shot provided the spark.
“That’s Brad Stratton,” Johnson said. “That’s what you’re going to get from him, night in and night out. He’s going to keep shooting no matter how many he makes or how many he misses.
“We know we can trust him. The coaches tell him to shoot the ball no matter what.”
Russell confirmed that sentiment.
“He is, in my opinion, the best shooter in the state,” Russell said of Stratton. “When one goes in, the rim gets really huge for him. He’s steady, he has matured and he’s all about the team.
“He doesn’t care if he scores, but he’s always ready to hit the big one.”
