Boys basketball: Providence gets senior night win over Marmion on Zinn Amos’ last-second basket

NEW LENOX – Call it senior night magic if you like, but there was more to Providence Catholic’s gritty 59-58 victory over Marmion than just having the quintet of seniors starting the game to honor their four years of toil.

First, credit sophomore guard Seth Chaney, whose 19 points, ability to get open and defensive leadership contributed a lot.

Next, add in Kyle Lipke and Collin Moran, whose combined 22 points – and Moran knotting the game at 33 with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to get the crowd more deeply into it – helped the cause considerably.

Finally, a hat tip to Zinn Amos, the senior who has started all year for the Celtics (12-15, 4-7 Catholic League White). The most valuable of his seven points were the three he contributed at game’s end, when he found himself as open as anyone all night and drained a 22-footer that came about via a broken play with four-hundredths of a second to play.

“I just used my instincts, shot-faked, sidestepped and tried to get an open shot,” Amos said. “We were supposed to get a shot (in the middle), but they collapsed on it, and I was open and called for the ball.”

As coach Kyle Murphy kidded, “Can’t draw that up any better, right? Zinn took the shot for us at the end, but that was a full team effort. We got stops when we needed stops, made some shots, broke their trap and got to the rim and scored.”

“We made plays when we had to make plays. We’ve had an up and down year, some tough losses, but I think we’re starting to play some better basketball. I think we’re a dangerous team.”

The timing is perfect with the state tournament around the corner.

“We came in knowing we were going to win the game,” Chaney said. “Playing smart, playing aggressive. At the first time out of the second half, we took a deep breath and got back to what we were doing in the first half.”

Marmion (15-10, 4-7) arrived with the more impressive record, including a victory over Mount Carmel, and played with great pluck, leading for most of the first half. But the Cadets, living by the 3-pointer before the intermission, couldn’t keep up the pace after the break. They were 4-of-11 from beyond the arc in the second half.

When it really mattered, Travon Roots, a 6-foot-6 powerhouse, tried to carry them, but his layup with 57 seconds to play was the last basket for the Cadets.

Jabe Haith and Collins Wainscott had 14 points each for Marmion.