Cranston’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer gets No. 4 Union past Bellarmine Prep

All Malachi Flynn could do was stare sheepishly up at the scoreboard.

It read, “60-57!”

And it showed no time remaining.

A frantic Flynn-led comeback got sixth-ranked Bellarmine Prep hoping it could get to overtime on Friday night — and maybe to the Tacoma Dome next week.

But Cameron Cranston ruined all of that with his game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, lifting No. 4 Union to a 60-57 victory in the Class 4A state regional round at Battle Ground High School.

Cranston, a 6-foot-5 junior, briefly fumbled the ball coming off a screen on the right side, but squared up and fired away. His 3-pointer rattled home, setting off a wild celebration for the 4A Greater St. Helens League champions and their fans.

Union coach Blake Conley, who watched his team go cold from the floor in the final five minutes with no field goals and six turnovers, breathed easier.

“We knew (Bellarmine Prep) was capable of making a comeback … and Flynn is an amazing player,” Conley said. “We wanted something off a screen with (Denis) Kirichenko or Cranston.

“I was very pleased with the shot we got.”

It was Cranston (25 points) and Kirichenko (20 points) who went bonkers in a big third quarter. They combined for 17 of the Titans’ 21 points, hitting tough shots off the dribble or drilling 3-pointers.

And things didn’t look good for the Lions (21-4), who trailed 55-40 with 4:46 to go.

But Isaac Wojtanowicz hit the final one of his four 3-pointers and Flynn added a pair of 3-pointers plus a three-point play.

Flynn’s final 3-pointer, a pull-up jumper from the left side, tied it at 57-all with 34 seconds remaining. It was his 28th — and final — point of the night.

“Urgency was a big part of it. We knew it was going to be our last game if we did not win, so we put it all out there and made a great comeback,” Flynn said.

Flynn was out on the perimeter when Cranston answered with his own dramatic 3-pointer for the Titans (22-2).

“Yeah, it was tough,” Flynn said. “I looked up, and … it was over.”

Union challenged the Lions off the dribble, and was rewarded handsomely — making 21 of 28 free throws.

The Lions were 4 of 7, and did not attempt their first free throw until the final second of the third quarter.

Stuff rarely gets under Bellarmine Prep coach Bernie Salazar’s skin. That statistic did.

“Yeah, but, you know, those are things you can’t control,” Salazar said. “We did not play well enough to win. Give Union credit, they are a good team. They are well-coached. They made some big plays.

“It was like a home game for them.”

Union will find out its opponent in the 4A state quarterfinals on Sunday.

This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 11:24 PM with the headline "Cranston’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer gets No. 4 Union past Bellarmine Prep."