LOS ANGELES — With four seconds left on the shot clock and a three-point lead, Jordan Schakel took a pass from Gianni Hunt, faced up against Sierra Canyon’s Cody Riley, leaned in and let it fly.
Off balance and at an awkward angle, the Bishop Montgomery senior watched his circus shot bank off the glass and through the net as the buzzer sounded.
“It was probably the most amazing feeling of my basketball life,” the San Diego State-bound Schakel said.
A close second might be the euphoria of leaping over a row of photographers at USC’s Galen Center on Friday night to celebrate with the Bishop Montgomery faithful after the fourth-seeded Knights knocked off No. 1 Sierra Canyon, 70-63, in the CIF Southern Section Open Division semifinals.
Bishop Montgomery (26-2) will face Mater Dei in the Open Division final on March 4.
Schakel, who hit his first 3-pointer Friday then missed his next six, including one attempt from the corner that missed so badly it hit the backboard above the square and never touched the rim, picked the ideal time to heat up. He was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc during the fourth quarter, draining all three shots in succession and breaking a 51-51 tie with 5:20 to go.
“It’s been a year when he’s been recovering from some injuries and we’ve been waiting for this,” Bishop Montgomery coach Doug Mitchell said of Schakel. “We’ve seen this coming closer and closer. What I was pleased (about) with him was that he missed some shots earlier, they were really deep in and out, but he stayed really aggressive and I’m really proud of him.”
When Schakel, who finished with 20 points on 6-for-14 shooting, wasn’t getting his shots to fall, he stayed engaged on defense, drawing two charges, forcing two steals and pulling down three rebounds.
Oregon State-bound Ethan Thompson led the Knights with 21 points and five rebounds. After Sierra Canyon took a four-point lead with 3:53 left in the third, Thompson closed the quarter with five consecutive points that helped Bishop Montgomery weather a 13-0 run from the Trailblazers (27-2).
Bishop Montgomery lost to Sierra Canyon in last year’s CIF-SS Open Division semifinals, but the Knights returned with all five of their starters this season. They were “more ready for this moment,” Mitchell said.
“We played all year for this moment, to be honest with you,” the coach added.
There’s one more moment to play for now. Immediately following the victory, Mitchell took a seat in the sold-out crowd at Galen Center to scout his next opponent.
