The math doesn’t add up on how this conundrum of a college basketball team made the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference semifinals for the first time in program history.
How a rash of injuries and corresponding tailspin dumped off Seton Hill in Afterthought City, only for the Griffins to hitchhike their way back and into the PSAC final four.
If there ever was a team that doubled down on doubt, it’s the Griffins.
“We’re playing with house money,” senior guard Camden Brewer said.
The Griffins (18-12), the fourth seed from the PSAC West, will take on Cal (Pa.) (20-8), the East No. 2 seed, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Gannon. The championship is Sunday.
Improbable is one way to describe the Griffins’ run. Magical is still pending.
“Anything can happen in March,” assistant coach Ryan Meis said.
A battered lineup
Seton Hill got off to a high-flying 5-0 start. The team played fast and fleet of foot.
The Griffins, with size and a skilled rotation, reached 12-2 and eyed a conference title.
But then the needle slid off the record.
Coaches started to cover their eyes and the Griffins’ athletic training staff jumped into action as four starters went down with injuries, with two being season-ending.
Redshirt sophomore guard Edir Ortiz (14.9 ppg), the son of former Saint Vincent standout Fernando Ortiz, and senior forward Gabe Gillespie tore their labrums, standout junior forward Kedrick Curtis broke a bone in his face and junior guard Dimitrios Sklavenitis (11.3 ppg) pulled his hamstring.
They all missed time.
Senior sixth man James Rice already was out for the year after an injury in the second game.
“Our top four of six, all out,” coach Ben Wilkins said.
The Griffins’ bubble of confidence sprung a serious leak.
“We were playing without our three best players,” Wilkins said. “Everything changed quite a bit.”
But not for the worst.
“The thing is, everyone can handle 80 degrees and sunshine,” Wilkins said. “But when it’s freezing and a blizzard, that’s not for everybody. It’s cool how our guys weathered the storm.”
The team lost 10 of its next 11 games, including seven in a row, and crept within a game of .500 at 13-12, 7-10 in the PSAC.
Now, the Griffins take a five-game winning streak into their next game.
New perspective
Everyone except Ortiz came back to play Cal (Pa.), but the Vulcans thumped the Griffins, 83-48.
“Every season is a journey,” said Curtis, a first-team All-PSAC West performer who averages 16.6 points and 8.3 points. “We said, let’s go play for each other. Even when we lost those games.”
After the Cal loss, Curtis called a players-only meeting.
“Tensions were high,” Curtis said. “We thought, is (the season) done? It was an open floor, and we all voiced our concerns. After that, there was a different kind of joy with the team. Fun and focus. No regrets.”
Gillespie later left the lineup again as his shoulder got worse and won’t return.
The thinned-out Griffins trailed Clarion by 17 but rallied to go ahead by three before falling in overtime.
“To everyone else, we had four starters out,” Brewer said. “To us, it meant another four guys had to step up. It motivated us. With adversity comes opportunity.”
New names emerged. Freshman guard Rashaad Williams sparked the offense and redshirt freshman Dean Simos, of Melbourne, Australia, emerged with three 20-plus-point games, and going from three minutes to nearly 30 a game.
“I knew I needed to step up and be ready,” Simos said. “We’re all very close off the court so that helped us. Right now, we’re on top of the world and believe we’re going to win.”
Quarterfinal magic
Brewer stepped to the free-throw line and made one of two shots to tie host Millersville, 75-75, with 20 seconds left in Wednesday’s quarterfinal.
“That’s the loudest it’s ever been in a game,” said Brewer, who had a game-high 20 points. “Millersville is like 30 minutes from York, where I am from, so I had a lot of (family and friends) there to watch.”
Williams came through in the clutch, racing into frame like Troy Polamalu to intercept an inbounds pass and drove in for a layup with 1 second left to give the Griffins a 77-75 win.
“Nobody expected us to win on the road,” Brewer said. “It’s funny how you have a different swagger when you’re not expected to win.”
If someone would have told Wilkins at the start of the season he’d lose four starters for a stretch and end up a two wins away from a conference title, would be have believed it?
“Probably not,” he said. “This is a special job by a special group of people.
“We have three teams, really. Team 1, totally healthy; Team 2, figuring it out; and Team 3, where we are now. Watch them in practice, and you can’t tell if they’re winning or losing.”