Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

High School

OFSAA bronze for St. Michael’s as Phoenyx Wyse hits last-second 3-pointer

Phoenyx Wyse, of Toronto’s St. Michael’s College, lifted his team to victory over the Notre Dame Knights from Brampton in the OFSAA ‘AAA’ basketball tournament.

St. Michael's College standout Phoenyx Wyse holds his OFSAA bronze medal.
St. Michael's College standout Phoenyx Wyse holds his OFSAA bronze medal.

It was a shot Phoenyx Wyse knew he had to make.

Throughout the OFSAA ‘AAA’ bronze medal game, the precocious Grade 10 guard from the St. Michael’s College Raiders (Toronto, Ont.) struggled to make free throws.

After a phenomenal first half, defenders from the Notre Dame Knights (Brampton, Ont.) largely contained him.

They threw double teams at him, clogged the lane, swarmed him when he moved toward the basket.

And in doing so, they clawed their way back into a lopsided game and forced overtime.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

OFSAA battle for St. Michael’s

Wyse was banged up. His ankle was sprained, he said. There was a contusion in his left shoulder. Both legs cramped up. He moved gingerly, fighting through pain.

Still, the 6-foot-4 sophomore was head and shoulders above most other players on the court. He needed to dig deep. He needed to find a way to win this winnable game.

So with St. Michael’s down 59-57 and three seconds left in the extra frame, he gathered a pass on the right wing, took a giant step to his left, and arrived at the top of the key.

He crossed over to his right, shaking a defender slightly, straightened up, and nailed a step-back three-pointer to give the Raiders a 60-59 lead.

Moments later, after Notre Dame flubbed a final inbounds play, the victory was secure. Wyse crouched low to the floor and held his head in his hands.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Pandemonium unfolded.

OFSAA tourney a proving ground

His teammates hugged him, hyped him up, beamed as if they couldn’t believe he made that shot.

“I was so emotional, man,” he said later, in a post-game interview with BasketballBuzz.

“I had some tears rolling down … after hitting that shot, I felt like the world just got lifted off my shoulders. It was amazing. Just amazing.”  

Wyse and lanky Raiders forward Noah Pistilli were key reasons why St. Michael’s jumped out to a 14-2 first-quarter lead. They combined on a series of layups and pull-up jumpers that left the Knights on their heels.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Notre Dame adjusted well, and trailed by just three points (36-33) at halftime. Knights guard Naheem Davidson made several key shots, some from beyond the arc.

Must Read:
KAT runs Timberwolves town with a 60 piece for his mother

Early in the third quarter, fifth-year forward Cameron Francis gave Notre Dame its first lead of the game on a layup near the six-minute mark.

The rest of the game was evenly-played. In its final moments, the victory was still up for grabs. Phoenyx Wyse decided to snatch it.

OFSAA win a building block

“It felt easy at the beginning,” he said, referring to the first quarter.

“But I have to give props … they came in, working our guards. They started to lock me up, got me frustrated. But me and my team, we realized we can do this. We have to push through.”

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Wyse wanted to score, but knew he needed to trust his teammates. He passed more, picked his spots.

“Man, I won’t lie. It was rough,” he said, referring to the defence’s stifling tactics.

“But eventually I realized I have to use my team more. Since they’re [the defence is] coming on me, there’s has to be someone that’s open.”

St. Michael’s entered OFSAA with the fourth seed, and posted decisive wins over St. Patrick’s (Ottawa, 58-44), Lo-Ellen Park (Sudbury, 65-59) and Sarnia Northern (63-54).

They fell 59-43 to eventual gold medallists Oakwood Collegiate, setting up a matchup with consolation champion Notre Dame in the bronze medal game.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Time will tell if St. Michael’s finds another gear next season. The bulk of the team is eligible to return, with four Grade 10 students and seven Grade 11s listed on its OFSAA roster.

“My expectation is to win gold now,” said Wyse. “That’s mostly it.”

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Advertisement

BUZZING

FIBA

The Canadian basketball community is mourning the loss of Greg Francis, a former high school champion, a NCAA basketball star, an Olympian, a coach,...

High School

Oakwood defeated Ursuline College from Chatham, Ont., to win the 2023 OFSAA AAA provincial high school basketball championship.

High School

After years of anticipation the inevitable has arrived, the battle between traditional Canadian high school basketball and new age prep schools is just getting...

High School

Hamilton, Ont — In what will surely go down as one of best finishes in Ontario Federation Schools Athletic Association (OFSAA) basketball history, senior...

High School

High school basketball in the nations capital has always been a major attraction for many years. Ottawa has consistently pumped-out top high school basketball...

High School

The seeding committee has released the final numbers and back in a familiar spot is the Vaughan Voyageurs, who despite losing 2014 Superstar Andrew...

High School

Amongst the big names in the upcoming 2012 OFSAA AAAA Boys Basketball Championships is Jamal Reynolds of the no. 4 PineRidge Pumas who claimed...

High School

Gonzaga bound Kevin Pangos concluded a stellar Toronto high school basketball career with a 26-point performance, despite missing out on the opportunity to add...

BasketballBuzz - Canada's Basketball Magazine