WCAC championship: St. John's (D.C.) guard Daquan Davis hits game-winner to lift Cadets over Paul VI
Daquan Davis scored the go-ahead bucket with 3.8 seconds to play as St. John’s spoiled Paul VI’s perfect Washington Catholic Athletic Conference season with a 65-63 victory in Monday’s WCAC championship game.
Davis, an uncommitted four-star recruit for the class of 2024, got into the paint and finished a driving layup for the final points in a back-and-forth contest at American University.
Paul VI (28-3), which defeated St. John’s 69-60 earlier this season, was looking to become the first WCAC team to go unbeaten against conference opponents since 2012. The Panthers went 15-0 in regular-season conference games.
St. John’s (29-2), ranked 18th in the SBLive Power 25, finished second behind No. 5 Paul VI in the WCAC standings. The Cadets got by Gonzaga (D.C.), 54-53, to reach the finals; Paul VI also received a strong test in its semifinal, edging DeMatha (Maryland) 72-70.
The Panthers jumped out to an early 10-2 lead Monday night, but St. John’s steadied the ship and entered halftime up 30-29. The Cadets extended their lead to nine midway through the third quarter, and an acrobatic finish by Donnie Freeman made it 54-46 early in the fourth.
The teams traded punches down the stretch with Davis scoring six huge points in the closing minutes, including a steal and score that made it 60-58 with 1:20 to play.
DeShawn Harris-Smith had a decent look at a potential game-winning 3-pointer, but it was just off the mark as time expired.
Harris-Smith, a Maryland signee, led all players with 24 points. Davis led the way for St. John’s with 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
