This was for second place in the section and maybe a much better seed in the playoffs, but Imani Christian’s R.J. Sledge felt another strong motivation, too.
“I couldn’t lose on my senior night,” said Sledge, who punctuated the first half with a heave from beyond half-court and delivered again late when Imani Christian needed another big shot from him.
The senior made a step-back 3-pointer with 3 seconds left in overtime Thursday night to lift No. 3 Imani Christian to a 76-74 victory over No. 2 Central Catholic in the section finale at CCAC.
The victory left the Saints (13-7, 11-3) alone in second place in Section 2-6A.
Sledge scored a team-high 29 points in a win that saw each team build and then lose a double-digit lead. Central Catholic’s Enzo Khalil scored a game-high 37.
The last team to score won.
With 7.5 seconds left in overtime, Imani Christian was inbounding from under its own basket, and the mission was to get the ball into Sledge’s hands. He cut sharply into the lane and then retraced his steps back to the 3-point arc to receive the pass.
“After I drew up the play at the end, I let him know the ball is coming to you,” Imani Christian coach Khayree Wilson said. “If you’re a big-time player, big-time players make big-time plays. You have to show your greatness right now.”
After one dribble, Sledge stepped back and made the shot. The 3-pointer was his fifth of the night and his second in overtime.
“In seven seconds, he created enough separation to have that fade-away, top-of-the-key 3,” Central Catholic coach Brian Urso said. “It was contested. That’s why you’ve got to shake the kid’s hand at the end of the day and say, ‘Good shot.’”
A 3-pointer by RJ Sledge with seconds left in overtime gives Imani Christian a 76-74 win over Central Catholic #HSSN#WPIALpic.twitter.com/ioeDUKKTdi
— Chris Harlan (@CHarlan_Trib) February 7, 2025
Deston Hubbard added 17 points for Imani Christian, and Malcolm Frye and Cam Rice scored 11 each.
A court-length shot by Khalil at the buzzer bounced off the rim. The Vikings (13-7, 10-4) had reached overtime largely because Khalil made his own share of big shots.
The biggest was a 3-point play with 41 seconds left in regulation. Khalil scored on an offensive rebound, was fouled and added the free throw for a 70-70 tie.
Khalil had willed the Vikings back from a 54-37 deficit midway through the third. He scored 24 points after halftime.
“Play after play, he just had a look about him tonight, a confidence about him,” Urso said. “He really rallied us back into the game.”
Central Catholic held overtime leads of 72-70 and 74-73, both on baskets by Christian Williams. Each time, Sledge answered with a go-ahead 3-pointer.
Sledge went 5 for 9 from beyond the 3-point arc, including 2 for 4 in overtime.
“We needed this,” Sledge said. “We needed second place and a win to go into the playoffs. We couldn’t go in with a loss.”
The 5-foot-11 guard has already won three WPIAL and three PIAA titles in his career.
Central Catholic led 25-15 less than a minute into the second quarter, thanks in part to a 9-for-9 start by the Vikings at the foul line. They made 25 of 33 foul shots overall in a game that saw two players foul out and included 51 combined fouls.
But Imani Christian finished the first half on a 27-7 run, erasing Central Catholic’s early lead. The Saints made four 3s in the second quarter and led 42-32 at half.
Just before the break, Imani Christian scored seven points in a four-second span when Central Catholic was assessed both a personal foul and a technical foul. The Saints made all four free throws and Rice added a quick 3 to lead by 10.
A 3-pointer by Sledge midway through the third stretched Imani Christian’s lead to 54-37. But Central Catholic upped its defensive pressure and started cutting into the deficit.
The Vikings had Imani’s lead down to 59-53 entering the fourth quarter.
“We were down 17 or 18 points and could have easily given up, but we didn’t,” Urso said. “We fought back tooth and nail. We had the belief we were going to win that game. It took a prayer for us to lose it.”
A 3-pointer by Wills Kontul with 3:40 left gave Central Catholic a brief 64-63 lead. After a tie at 67, Imani Christian stretched its lead to 70-67 with three free throws by Sledge, the last with 1:21 remaining.
Featured Local Businesses
Khalil’s 3-point play with 41 seconds left forced overtime tied at 70.
“We couldn’t fumble this one away,” Wilson said. “For our first year in 6A, it would be so great to have a home playoff game. We need that for us, and we need it for our fans.”