Bishop Guilfoyle Academy boys basketball coach Ryan Lestochi said that his Marauders team prides itself on cultivating an aura of mental toughness, and playing the type of lock-down, hard-nosed defense that goes hand in hand with that approach.

In a PIAA Class 3A boys basketball quarterfinal-round playoff thriller in which neither team deserved to lose, BG dug down for something extra on defense in a four-minute overtime session and pulled out a heart-stopping 50-46 win over Westmont Hilltop Saturday afternoon at the Claysburg-Kimmel High School gymnasium.

The victory earns BG (26-4) a berth in Tuesday night’s 7:30 p.m. semifinal-round playoff matchup against District 3 champion Trinity at Chambersburg High School — with a trip to next Saturday afternoon’s 2 p.m. state championship game at Hershey’s Giant Center serving as the reward for the winner of Tuesday’s showdown. Trinity advanced to the semifinal round with a 75-53 quarterfinal-round victory over Forest Hills Saturday.

The Marauders’ game was tied, 41-41, after four regulation quarters before BG converted nine of its 10 free throw opportunities in the overtime session and came up with some big stops on defense that prevented Westmont (21-7) from taking control.

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski Bishop Guilfoyle's Alex Krimmel looks to the net by Westmont Hilltop's Landen Valente.

“I’m a big believer in mental toughness,” Lestochi said. “That is the way that you succeed in tight games. Things don’t always go your way in those situations, and it’s a question of whether or not you can deal with the adversity when it occurs.

“This was an amazing high school basketball game, the fans were great, the atmosphere was great, it was a great game,” Lestochi added. “We really take pride in our defense, and we made some key stops today.”

Particularly in overtime, with the game in the balance.

After Westmont opened the overtime scoring with one of two free throws from sophomore forward Josiah Jashienski to take a 42-41 lead, BG sophomore Alex Krimmel made two of two free throws to give the Marauders a 43-42 lead with 1:55 left.

Westmont tried to force a pass through the lane in traffic, and BG senior Jake Kissell came up with a big takeway that led to one of two free throws by junior guard Troy Ruggery that gave BG a 44-42 lead.

After a missed Westmont shot, Ruggery pulled down a rebound, was fouled, and made two free throws with 28 seconds left to give the Marauders a 46-42, two-possession lead.

True to the championship form that was exhibited by both teams, Westmont senior Jack Wesner – who scored a game-high 25 points – hit a layup to pull the Hilltoppers back to within two points at 46-44 with 14 seconds left.

BG junior Grant Okonak, who led the Marauders with 18 points, was fouled and hit both free throws to give Guilfoyle a 48-44 lead, but Wesner responded with a driving layup to pull Westy to within 48-46 with six seconds remaining.

BG senior Taurean Consiglio was fouled as the Marauders were inbounding the ball and hit both free throws to set the Marauders’ final 50-46 margin of victory.

“Both teams are obviously very good,” said Wesner, who will continue his basketball career on the college level after securing a scholarship to Division II Frostburg State University in Maryland. “We knew that it would be a hell of a game. Give all the credit to BG. They didn’t turn the ball over, and they executed down the stretch.”

Westmont executed superbly as well, particularly in the fourth quarter, when Wesner’s 10 points – including a game-tying spin move for a bucket from the key – with 1:25 left pulled Westmont into a 44-44 deadlock after the HIlltoppers had battled back from had been an eight-point, 39-31 deficit with 3:41 remaining.

“Jack Wesner and (junior guard Grant) Craig (who scored 11 points for Westmont) are tough to guard,” Lestochi said. “Westmont made some big shots tonight.”

As things materialized, however, BG made some even bigger ones.

The Marauders’ offense was limited to just 17 first-half points before Okonak scored eight points in the third quarter, which BG carried, 13-3, to take a 30-24 lead into the fourth quarter.

“Grant was awesome for us today,” Lestochi said.

Okonak, who tied Jashienski for game rebounding honors with seven, said that his confidence perked up in the third quarter, when he hit a 3-point shot and two inside field goals.

“Once one shot went in, I definitely felt a lot of confidence,” Okonak said. “My teammates did a good job of getting me the ball, and I didn’t hesitate to go to the basket with it.”

Westmont Hilltop coach Dave Roman was impressed by the competitive spirit that was displayed by both teams.

“The fans got their money’s worth today, and then some, with the bonus overtime session,” Roman said. “This was a game involving two great basketball teams in the state of Pennsylvania, in which neither team wanted to lose.

“I’m proud of the way our kids battled,” Roman added. “They didn’t want it to be Jack’s (Wesner’s) last high school game. Jack was Jack today. He is phenomenal – the best player that I’ve ever coached.”

Consiglio chipped in 10 points for the Marauders, who will live to fight another day against a Trinity team that defeated BG in a very close mid-January matchup between the two teams in Camp Hill.

Trinity is the only obstacle now remaining between the Marauders and a trip to the state championship game.

“It’s surreal,” Okonak said. “This is what we’ve dreamed about as a team since last fall – getting to the semis and making it from there to the state championship game. Trinity is a good team with some dudes who can really play basketball.

“And we can’t wait to play them again.”

WESTMONT HILLTOP (46): Valente 0 0-0 0, J. Wesner 9 4-6 25, Jashienski 2 1-2 6, Craig 5 0-0 11, Bowles 2 0-0 4, L. Wesner 0 0-0 0. Totals – 18 5-8 46

BISHOP GUILFOYLE (50): Consiglio 3 4-4 10, Ruggery 1 3-4 6, Kissell 1 0-0 3, Krimmel 2 3-4 7, Lestochi 1 0-0 3, G. Okonak 6 4-6 18, C. Okonak 1 1-2 4. Totals – 15 15-20 50

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Westmont Hilltop 13 8 3 17 5 — 46

Bishop Guilfoyle 5 12 13 11 9 — 50

3-point goals: Westmont Hilltop 5 (Wesner 3, Jashineski, Craig); Bishop Guilfoyle 5 (G. Okonak 2, Ruggery, Kissell, Lestochi, C. Okonak)

Records: Westmont Hilltop (21-7); Bishop Guilfoyle (26-4)

Officials: Dan Amrhein, Jason Moschgat, Nick Roman