Late Heroics Propel Curie Past St. Ignatius at Merry Madness

Steve Parham December 23, 2025 @ 10:43 AM

Monday night at Whitney Young High School featured a marquee matchup at the inaugural CPL Merry Madness Shootout as #2-ranked Curie squared off with #8 St. Ignatius in a gritty and defense-driven contest. In the end Curie leaned on its trademark pressure and late-game execution to escape with a 42–40 victory.   From the opening tip, neither team found much offensive rhythm. Curie endured a rare off night shooting the basketball finishing just 1-21 from three-point range and leaving 10 points at the free throw line. St. Ignatius wasn't able to fully capitalize however, as the Wolfpack committed 20 turnovers against Curie's relentless defensive pressure.   The game stayed tight throughout the first half with St. Ignatius carrying a slim two-point lead at halftime. Both teams attempted to pick up the pace coming out of the break, but shot-making continued to be an issue on both ends. St. Ignatius briefly seized momentum in the fourth quarter building a lead of as much as seven points before Curie turned the game with its full-court press.   Forced turnovers late opened the door for the Condors and [player_tooltip player_id='2734369' first='Justin' last='Oliver'] delivered the decisive moment knocking down a tough fadeaway jumper in the final seconds to give Curie the lead for good.   [player_tooltip player_id='2734369' first='Justin' last='Oliver'] | Curie | 2026   14 points, 3 assists   Oliver was quiet for much of the night but rose to the moment when it mattered most. His energy shifted after finishing an alley-oop from [player_tooltip player_id='2823632' first='Kendall' last='Holliday'] in the fourth quarter. Down seven Oliver became more aggressive attacking the paint and scoring through contact. His late-game fadeaway proved to be the difference in a hard-fought win.   [player_tooltip player_id='2823632' first='Kendall' last='Holliday'] | Curie | 2026   11 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks   Holliday made winning plays on both ends of the floor. His fourth-quarter dunk sparked Curie's comeback and his rim protection was critical down the stretch. A key block at the basket gave the Condors one final opportunity which they converted into the game-winning possession.   [player_tooltip player_id='2323283' first='Chris' last='Bolte'] | St. Ignatius | 2026   17 points, 14 rebounds   Bolte led all scorers and was the most consistent offensive presence on the floor. He scored from multiple levels, knocking down perimeter shots, creating in the mid-range, and finishing through contact when pressured. His versatility and toughness stood out against Curie's physical disciplined defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='2839874' first='Chris' last='Chittaro'] | St. Ignatius | 2027   Chipped in 10 points knocking down two three-pointers while also scoring on a floater and mid-range jumper to keep the Wolfpack within striking distance.   [player_tooltip player_id='2531962' first='Amir' last='Tucker'] | St. Ignatius | 2028   The sophomore guard impressed with his poise against Curie's pressure. Tucker finished with 6 points highlighted by three strong attacks to the basket. His continued growth is quickly making him one of the top players in the 2028 class early in the season.

Monday night at Whitney Young High School featured a marquee matchup at the inaugural CPL Merry Madness Shootout as #2-ranked Curie squared off with #8 St. Ignatius in a gritty and defense-driven contest. In the end Curie leaned on its trademark pressure and late-game execution to escape with a 42–40 victory.