Mount Carmel boys basketball coach Tony Martin didn’t mind working overtime Wednesday. The reward at the end of the night was a special one.
After his No. 2 Cougars were able to grind out a 53-51 overtime win against rival Mount Saint Joseph, his team came together at midcourt to help him celebrate 23 years of coaching that produced his 500th career victory.
In his second year at Mount Carmel, which follows seven years at Cape Fear Academy in North Carolina, 11 years at John Carroll and three at Archbishop Spalding, Martin has compiled an impressive 500-232 mark.
On Wednesday, 14 points from Mario Tatum, 11 by Ralph Rudusans and a clutch steal at midcourt by senior guard Rodney Scott in the final seconds of overtime helped secure his milestone win.
“It’s an incredible experience to be a part of a number of different communities and help them grow,” Martin said. “Here at Mount Carmel, I just feel they have great bones. The faculty and staff are really caring people and I felt at home as soon as I got here. So to be able to celebrate this with the team is great and I’m just proud of my guys.”
Mount Carmel improved to 8-1 and evens its record at 1-1 in the Baltimore Catholic League, while Mount Saint Joseph is now 7-3 and 0-2.
The Cougars started fast Wednesday, jumping out to a 16-8 lead after one quarter. A rough second quarter was salvaged by their only baskets in the frame coming from Samartine Hill and Rudusans in the final minute to claim a 23-17 halftime advantage.
The Gaels got closer in the third quarter behind four 3-pointers — two each from B.J. Ranson and Tourean Thompson — to pull within 36-33 entering the fourth quarter.
With 2:31 to play in regulation, Joe Green (team-high 15 points) went strong to the basket using his left hand to give the Gaels their first lead at 44-42. After a tying basket came from Tatum with 1:12 to play, Mount Saint Joseph had the ball last, but shots from Thompson and Green missed the mark in the closing seconds.
The Cougars made shots early in the four-minute overtime — including two inside baskets from Junior Mancho and another from Tristen Wilson after a steal by Tatum — and then hit three free throws and got the needed stops to pull out the win.
“It means a lot to get this win for Coach Martin,” Scott said. “In overtime, we just had to get the tough stops — keep playing as a team and just finish.”
Added Martin: “Credit St. Joe — they’re well coached and they play hard. It was a tough game and I thought we made a couple more toughness plays at the end and the ball bounced our way.”
For the Gaels, younger this season than recent years, it was their second overtime loss in league play this season. Coach Pat Clatchey is finding positive signs as his team works hard on carving out an identity.
“We’re young and we’re learning what it takes to win,” he said. “Two league games that go in overtime. Those are possession-by-possession games where you need to be disciplined defensively and you need to be able to execute better. I thought our effort was there — the guys played hard. But we just got to play smarter and execute a little better. We’re going to get better.”
Both teams return to action Friday with Mount Carmel traveling to Archbishop Curley at 5:30 p.m. and Mount Saint Joseph visiting Calvert Hall at 7.
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MSJ — 8-9-16-11-7 — 51
MC — 16-7-13-8-9 — 53
MSJ — Early 5, Green 15, Holmes 6, Etolue 2, Ranson 12, Thompson 8, Anthony II 3.
MC — Mancho 8, Howard 1, Rudusans 11, Wilson 5, Scott 8, Hill 4, Tatum 14, Tr. Heflin 2.