Lake Catholic coach Matt Vespa said his team is still trying to determine its identity in this still-young season. The Cougars took big steps toward clarifying just what type of team they want to be in a wild 74-71 overtime road win at Benedictine on Dec. 17. Lake Catholic snatched victory from the jaws of defeat twice — first overcoming a late six-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime, then hitting two big shots and a free throw in the final 90 seconds of the extra session to erase a 3-point deficit and prevail in a loud, raucous, heated environment. @LC_Hoops Coach Matt Vespa discusses Lake Catholic’s 74-71 OT win at Benedictine pic.twitter.com/yJ8GpE1v4H — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) December 18, 2024 “I told the guys it was my fault, because I wanted us to get tested, I wanted to see how we would handle a hostile environment,” Vespa said. “I wanted to see if we would stay together when things weren’t going our way. “I’ve been doing this for a while, and I’ve never had anything like that. That’s one of the greatest games I’ve been a part of. Credit to our guys for staying mentally locked in and making just enough plays at the end to get the victory.” The Cougars had to overcome some bizarre circumstances in the late stages of the fourth quarter in addition to the deficits on the scoreboard. First, with Lake Catholic down by a point in the final two minutes and with fouls to give, the Cougars were whistled for a foul. After a misunderstanding on which player the foul was called, there was a heated dispute at the scorers’ table regarding whether it was a fourth or fifth foul that very nearly became a physical altercation. After others intervened and the two individuals were removed, the referees decided the foul was the player’s fifth. Later, with three seconds left on the clock and the Cougars down by two, Lake Catholic senior Cross Nimmo, who had a huge night overall, had an opportunity to tie the game at the free-throw line, but split a pair of free throws, leaving Benedictine ahead, 67-66. On the missed second attempt, Benedictine senior Noah Wisler, who also had a monster night, came down with the rebound and was fouled. Simultaneously, a Benedictine player left the bench too early, with 0.1 seconds on the clock, incurring a technical foul. Wisler split two free throws to make it 68-66, then senior Aiden Webb coolly sank two free throws for Lake Catholic (3-1) to send the game to overtime. In the extra session, it seemed Benedictine had regained control, possibly for good this time, when Wisler threw down an authoritative two-hand dunk for a 71-68 Bengals lead with 1:30 left. But that was enough time for Lake Catholic senior DJ Sears to grab a clutch rebound, and for Stanton Powaski to connect on an open 3 to tie the game at 71-71 with 30 seconds to play. Benedictine had another chance to secure a victory, but committed a turnover, after which Webb hit a running layup to give Lake Catholic  a 73-71 lead with 15 seconds left. Stanton Powaski split two free throws for the final margin. @LC_Hoops senior Aiden Webb (16 points and the game-winning layup in overtime) goes over Lake Catholic’s 74-71 OT win at Benedictine pic.twitter.com/7kNtTy8meq — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) December 18, 2024 “That was a great team win,” Webb said. “Everybody did their job. We knew it was going to be a tough environment. Coming in here it always is. We just kept fighting. Everyone stepped up. It was awesome, it was a gritty performance.” The wild way the game ended overshadowed some brilliant individual performances. Wisler, a 6-foot-3 senior, scored a game-high 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Nimmo poured in a team-high 28 points, most from under the basket, and he also had a double-double with 10 boards. Lake Catholic senior Ace Peterlin added 17 points, including several critical third-quarter layups as the Cougars were rallying, while Webb tallied 16 points. Senior Damone Darmond scored 12 points for Benedictine. Benedictine’s Trueman Fieldhouse is tight, with a unique, sloped roof with glass windows on the side, and is often packed with fans and loud. Benedictine’s student section did its best to accentuate the atmosphere, and fittingly, the game was a back-and-forth affair with key momentum swings. Webb banked in a triple to give the Cougars a 16-12 lead at the end of the first quarter, and Benedictine rallied to take a 33-28 lead into halftime, with Wisler’s and-1 followed by a technical foul on Lake Catholic which led to a pair of free throws by senior Bryce Meitin. Webb sank another 3 to give Lake Catholic a 50-47 lead at the end of the third which capped a 19-7 run that erased a 40-31 Benedictine lead, the biggest by either team in the game. Benedictine (2-4) regained control with a 14-6 run capped by a Darmond bucket on an assist by Luke Carlton to go ahead, 64-58, but the Bengals ultimately were unable to put the Cougars away despite playing what Coach Chris Salata thought was their best game so far this season. @CBHSHoops Coach Chris Salata reviews Benedictine’s 74-71 OT loss to Lake Catholic (Part 1) pic.twitter.com/M0I5VfFW2C — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) December 18, 2024 “Extremely proud of our guys,” Salata said. “I think they played potentially their best 32 (plus) minutes of the year. You’ve got to hate to lose, which I think this team does. They showed tonight how competitive they are and put themselves in a position time and time again to win that game.” @CBHSHoops Coach Chris Salata talks about Benedictine’s 74-71 OT loss to Lake Catholic, and looks ahead to a matchup with Cornerstone Christian this Saturday at Garfield Heights (part 2) pic.twitter.com/jYHFA2CSwd — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) December 18, 2024 Benedictine will look to get back on track at the NEO Christmas Classic showcase at Garfield Heights on Dec. 21 against Cornerstone Christian. Lake Catholic will travel to Elyria Catholic on Dec. 20 and then host Trinity on Dec. 21. “One of the things we talked was sometimes you, sometimes me, but always us,” Vespa said, citing big plays made by Sears and seniors Frankie Trinetti and Jacob Rozman. “We have that type of team. We have different guys that can go at any time. “They tried to take Aiden away with face-guarding stuff. That’s a smart play, but we have other guys that can make plays. Everyone that stepped on the floor tonight made enough plays to win, and that’s what we want to hang our hat on.” THE SCORE (DEC. 17) Lake Catholic 74, Benedictine 71 (OT)