Chris Kearney threw down two dunks and had 18 points in Catholic's upset win. Catholic athletics file photo

By Brian Falzarano
D3sports.com

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Catholic showed the capability for springing this season's first upset early, weathering No. 16 Transylvania's early torrid shooting before responding with a stunning surge to ensure a stirring season-opening upset in Friday night's first game of the first-ever Hoopsville National Invitational Classic.

From six lead changes and a game that once appeared destined for a fantastic finish, the Cardinals served early notice of their legitimacy by reeling off 21 straight points, holding the Pioneers pointless for more than 14 minutes before producing an impressive 67-41 victory over a returning NCAA tournament team at Stevenson University.

Last season, Catholic went 19-9, did not qualify for the Landmark Conference tournament and allowed 69.0 points per game. Its first 40 minutes of 2012-13 served notice that the Cardinals could very well be a factor come March.

“We did it. Now we just have to do it 24 more times,” Catholic head coach Steve Howes said with a sly grin.

If Friday night is any indication, the Cardinals are capable of building off what just might be a benchmark performance for a program that won the 2001 national championship but has not played meaningful (read: NCAA Tournament) basketball since 2007.

Before Catholic clamped down and delivered the first upset of the 2012-13 campaign, Transylvania looked the part of a 16th-ranked team. Barrett Meyer buried a pair of three-balls on the Pioneers' first three trips down the floor. Inside of the first three minutes, the Heartland Conference power held a 10-6 lead — even with D3hoops.com Preseason Second Team All-American Ethan Spurling only contributing a couple of free throws.

And then, the whole tenor of this contest changed. More than a mere run, Catholic went on a shocking, unanswered outburst: A 22-0 run while keeping the Pioneers pointless for 14:14 stretching over both halves.

In the first half, the Cardinals forced 13 turnovers against a team that committed the fewest in Division III in 2011-12 and turned them into 18 points, equaling Transylvania's total output en route to taking a 36-18 lead into the locker room after 20 minutes. Howes called the statistic “kind of a backbreaker” — a huge understatement on a night his team made a national statement.

“We just closed out half a step closer and made that open shot tougher,” said senior guard Shawn Holmes, who tallied 12 of his game-high 23 points in the first half. “We needed a stop and got it. Then we got another. Then we just went down on offense and executed our plays.”

“We stuck to what we knew. We didn't get caught up in what they were doing,” said senior center Chris Kearney, who threw down two ferocious dunks as part of his 18-point, six-rebound, three-block, three-steal performance.

After his watching his team flash the crisp ball movement and quality shot selection of a March Madness squad last winter, Transylvania coach Brian Lane grew so disgusted that he started subbing out his seniors in favor of freshmen because, as he put it, “(26) points, that's not indicative of how bad we were.”

Seated a few feet to Lane's left, Spurling just nodded in disappointed agreement after finishing with 14 points, but four of the Pioneers' 20 turnovers.

“He's telling the truth,” the senior said. “He tells us how it is, plain and simple. We just weren't competing, myself included. We didn't put it together for 40 minutes; not even 20 minutes.”

The best thing about season openers is that, while they can set the tone for an entire season, the Hoopsville National Invitational Classic offers the opportunity for each of the eight participating teams to turn the page quickly.

Less than 24 hours after a disappointing start, Transylvania's shot at redemption comes against No. 24 Randolph-Macon. A win there, and the trip north to play a pair of quality teams is all the more worthwhile.

To say the least, Lane is curious about how his team will respond Saturday night.

“We wanted to be challenged,” the 12th-year coach said. “One of the things this team has done sometimes — it's a senior laden team — but there's times where things have gotten really tough and we haven't always responded the way we needed to.

“I think today was one of those times. When things got really tough, we didn't come back with the push and the aggressiveness they needed to.”

Catholic certainly did, making a fine first impression in a season opener it hopes will set the stage for the senior class of Holmes, Kearney and swingman Nate Koenig (seven points, nine rebounds) that has yet to experience the joy of seeing the Cardinals' name penciled into a Division III NCAA Tournament bracket.

“It means everything,” Kearney said of beating Transylvania. “It's been a very long offseason com off our sort of disappointing run — we didn't make last year's conference championship (tournament). We've always had a goal of making the NCAA Tournament and winning our conference championship.”