Villa Angela-St. Joseph added another Top 25 win to their resume Wednesday night in a 57-56 victory over St. Vincent-St. Mary after senior Will Butler coast-to-coast finish sealed the victory.

At First: 

Both teams came out the gate a bit sluggish and a turnover by VASJ on the game's opening possession led to an easy fastbreak dunk for Lunden McDay on the other end.

McDay scored 7 points in the game's opening minutes and they were able to jump out to a 10-2 start early on. Following a timeout, the Vikings regrouped and their matchup zone slowed things down and allowed Coach Babe Kwasniak's group to control the tempo of the game. 

Sophomore Alonzo Gaffney threw down a pair of dunks in the second quarter of play that swung the momentum, but a few late turnovers edged St. V to a 28-27 lead at the break.

Turning Point:

The two teams traded leads to begin the second half and fellow seniors Butler and Danny McGarry were a big reason why. The two have played in their share of big-time games throughout their four year careers.

McGarry finished with 7 points and 11 rebounds.

St. Vincent-St. Mary senior Jayvon Graves came alive in the final quarter of play and his contested three put the Irish up one with just over seven seconds remaining in the game, he matched Gaffney with 19 points. 

Butler had other plans.

Following a timeout, the senior maneuvered his way down the court and his last second runner did a full rotation around the rim before dropping through the net.

Standouts:

Alonzo Gaffney (VASJ) 6'8, 2019 - In what was perhaps his best showing that I've seen live, Gaffney scored a team-high 19 points for the Vikings.  The top ranked sophomore in NEO, Gaffney has transitioned smoothly into his new role in the starting lineup. At 6'7 and a wingspan well over 7'0, he is an intriguing prospect moving forward as he continues to grow into his body. The new age forward currently holds an offer from Penn State but has been drawing both mid-major and high major interest.

Will Butler (VASJ) 6'1 2017 - Butler's buzzer beating runner gave his squad their biggest win of the season thus far. At first glance Butler might not look like your typical guard, but the senior possesses a unique combination of size and skill. He facilitated the Vikings offense en route to dishing out 7 assists on the night. Moving forward, Butler is a heavy guard with deceptive speed and a tight handle that seems to always finds his way on the floor at the end of games.  

Lunden McDay (STVM) 6'2. 2019 - In just his first year playing with the team, McDay has already emerged as one of the area's top underclassmen. He scored 9 of his 13 points in the game's opening quarter and was a key part to the Irish holding the lead throughout the first half. Back on January 30th, McDay picked up his first scholarship offer from Buffalo.

Takeaways:

Coach Dru Joyce and company won't have too long to think about Wednesday's loss as the team heads down to Jackson on Friday for what will likely be another sold out contest. The Irish have had a habit of starting a bit sluggish and turning it on late. This can't be the case on Friday if they want to pick up a big win on the road and knock the top area's top ranked team. 

VASJ closes out the season with a series of league games, two of which will be on the road against St. Thomas Aquinas and Warren JFK. The Vikings have picked up some big time wins over the last two weeks and will have a chance to win out heading into a tough Division 3 district at Garfield Heights.

Up Next:

VASJ (14-5) - Friday vs. Trinity 

STVM (14-5) - Friday @ #1 Jackson