KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.One last time before they go off into their professional basketball careers, Antonio Pena and Reggie Redding went out on top.
After playing together for three years at Villanova, Pena and Redding got to spend the summer playing on the same team together once again, Omega Medical, in the Delco Pro-Am league. As both of them prepare for a career in Europe, Sunday night gave them one last opportunity to win a championship together.
And they certainly made the most of it.
Pena only made four three-pointers in his Villanova career, but he proved this summer that he was more of an outside threat than he showed in college.
With just 3.4 seconds remaining in a game tied at 59, Redding drove into the lane and kicked it to a wide open Pena in the right corner, who drained the three-pointer to give Omega Medical a 62-59 lead.
When I hit him, he was open, Redding said. And weve been working out all summer and hes been hitting that shot. I knew as soon as he got it off that he was going to hit it. Thats a big-time player and I knew he was going to knock it down.
But it wasnt over yet. After a timeout, Mark Tyndale caught the inbounds pass in the corner and was fouled on a three-point attempt, which put him at the free throw line for three shots with 1.1 seconds remaining.
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But Tyndale missed the second free throw, and Pena and Redding celebrated a 62-61 victory in the Delco Pro-Am championship. Pena took home MVP honors with 22 points and seven rebounds. Redding was two rebounds shy of a triple-double with 12 points, 10 assists and eight boards.
Anytime youve been doing something all summer, you want a result, Pena said. You want an outcome. This is an outcome. Weve been playing this game every other day. We just wanted to come out and win.
What made it extra special was that Pena, Redding and fellow former Nova teammate Frank Tsuichi edged out a T.Y.G.T.A.L. team that included three former Temple playersTyndale, Mardy Collins and Dustin Salisbery.
T.Y.G.T.A.L. led almost the entire game before Omega Medical made a furious comeback in the final minutes to take the lead. With the game knotted at 56 with just over a minute left, Redding made a nice pass to Pena for a layup and-1. Redding then nearly gave the game away. He was stripped in the backcourt by Collins, who converted a layup to tie the game up. But Penas jumper sealed the deal to win the title.
Im happy, Redding said about winning the championship. We beat a good team. They have some great players over there. We were down the whole game. For us to toughen it out and come out with the win, it felt good.
This was the first championship-winning field goal Pena ever made in his basketball career. It was the first time he won a championship for his team since making two free throws to win the New York state championship at Lincoln High School.
It was a bittersweet moment for Pena and Redding, who played three years together under Jay Wright but never won a Big East Championship or a National Championship. They came close in 2009 when they made it to the Final Four. But the two finally got an opportunity to share a championship together, and it came just days before they leave for Europe.
Its awesome, Redding said. Ever since day one at school, me and 'Tone just clicked together. We lived together this summer; we worked out together and played together. And now both of us are moving on to our professional careers.
On Thursday, Redding will leave for Germany, where he will play for the Walter Tigers Tuebingen. He won the championship in Cyprus last season with InterCollege Etha Engomis. Shortly after Redding leaves, Pena will move to Spain, where he will play for UB La Palma.
Thousands of miles away in Europe, Pena and Redding will savor the moment that they finally won a championship together back in Philly.