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CLEVELAND, Ohio– St. Edward head coach Eric Flannery jokingly said after the game that someone finally made a basketball play.
That play transpired with 15 seconds left in regulation when junior Zyion Freer-Brown stole the inbound pass with a one-point lead. Seconds later, Shane Macalla stole another pass, leading to a layup from Jair Knight, ultimately sealing the 81-75 win for St. Edward.
FINAL: @SEHS_BASKETBALL 81, @lorainathletics 75. Zyion Freer-Brown’s steal sets up the Eagles for back-to-back steals to secure the win. @sports_kee pic.twitter.com/IZUHOxPtH1
— Michael Trivisonno (@MichaelTriv_) January 20, 2021
“The coaches were kind of joking tonight saying we played about 16 seconds of defense tonight and still found a way to win,” Flannery chuckled. “That’s a sign of a good team at times when you don’t play great and you make mistakes but you still find a way to grind out a win and I thought we did that tonight.”
“I was just trying to protect the rim and not make it go into overtime,” Freer-Brown said. “I saw his eyes and saw that he was about to pass the ball in and just tried to pick the ball off as soon as I can.”
Seth Wilson was lights out for Lorain, ending the night with a game-high 35 points, including hitting six 3-pointers. The West Virginia commit also sunk a half-court buzzer-beater to get the Titans within eight at halftime.
@lorainathletics Seth Wilson banks a half court shot at the buzzer.
HALFTIME: St. Eds 30, Lorain 22. pic.twitter.com/vbgJJIAyem— Michael Trivisonno (@MichaelTriv_) January 20, 2021
Throughout the fourth quarter, Wilson and De’Vante Jackson kept the Titans within striking distance. Wilson hit a 3-pointer with under three minutes left to get within one point.
Then Bova and the Eagles responded.
A couple of free throws down the stretch along with a corner 3-pointer from sophomore forward Danny Lavelle kept the Eagles in front in the closing minute.
However, there were the Titans to continue to make a comeback.
Senior guard Jamir Billings knocked down a 3-pointer to get within two with under one minute left in the game. However, like the Eagles were doing consistently throughout the game, its defense came up big in the closing seconds, securing another win for Flannery and his young team.
Jamir Billings’ 3-pointer puts the Titans within two, 74-72 with 42 seconds left in the 4th. pic.twitter.com/rbh669OVS1
— Michael Trivisonno (@MichaelTriv_) January 20, 2021
“It came down to us, once again, trying to make some free throws, trying to secure the game and those are things you can’t replicate in practice,” Flannery said. “To have these experiences to me is just fun.”
For Lorain, Jamir Billings and De’Vante Jackson rounded out the scoring behind Wilson’s 35 points by scoring 20 and 10 points, respectively. Head coach John Rositano was pleased with the effort his guys showed in the second half to make the game come down to the closing seconds.
“I’m disappointed we lost but the fight and the will to come back and keep coming I thought was tremendous and I think both teams got better from this type of game,” Rositano said.
“I just wish we had an opportunity for a shot off there at the end,” he continued. “We had a chance to tie or take the lead and I liked our chances and unfortunately we threw it away.”
For the Eagles, Bova led the way with 22 points and five rebounds. Mason Lerch added 15 points along with Shane Macalla’s 12 points as he fought through stomach pains Tuesday night.
The win improves Flannery’s team to 7-0 on the year, including marquee wins against opponents like St. Ignatius and Buchtel. The wins are important for Flannery and his team, but he knows that the road ahead is not easy.
He embraces facing the best teams in the area and with each game, is a new learning opportunity.
“That’s what it’s about. If anyone wants to play we’ll play them,” Flannery said. “I’m not afraid at all to lose and it’s too important to just continue to learn and get better. I’ve said it many times before when you can learn and win it’s the best.”
