by Akron, Ohio – The St. Edward Eagles advanced to the regional championship with a 62-46 win over the Cleveland Heights Tigers at James A. Rhodes Arena Wednesday night.
Both teams struggled out of the gate to open up the game, combining for 7 of 21 from the field. However, the Eagles took a 13-9 lead after the first quarter. They would add to their lead, pushing it to 20-11 in the second. Cleveland Heights responded with an 8-0 run, thanks to a pair of triples from Jhayce Boyd and Charles Butler, trimming the Tiger deficit to 20-19. The Eagles would maintain a 23-19 advantage at the halftime break.
St. Edward began to pull away in the third quarter, thanks to a 3-4 performance from long range. JT Kelsheimer knocked down two of the Eagle treys, and sophomore Carson Link knocked down the other. The Eagles also got a pair of blocks from Kaleb Gettis, and buckets in the paint from junior forward Ian Murray. As a result, they led 41-32 after three.
The Eagles pulled away in the fourth quarter, going 5-6 from the floor, and 11 of 12 at the charity stripe to pull away and cruise to victory. Senior Zymir Knox finished with 17 points and five rebounds. Fellow classmate JT Kelsheimer added 13 points, and had eight boards and five assists. Ian Murray had 11 points and six boards. Bryan Vlosich added eight points.
Cleveland Heights was led by Jhayce Boyd, who finished with 14 points. He was followed by senior Jamell Stephens, who had 11 points, six boards, and a pair of blocks, and Charles Butler, who had ten points.
The St. Edward Eagles advance to the regional final where they will take on Elyria. The Pioneers advanced thanks to a 54-39 win over Brunswick in the earlier semifinal Wednesday evening.
Extended highlights below:
Cleveland Heights Tigers vs. St. Edward Eagles (OHSAA Div. I Regional Semifinal) (03/11/2026)
