by Akron, Ohio – The St. Edward Eagles are headed to the state final four for the first time since 2022 with a 53-50 win over Elyria in the OHSAA Division I regional championship at James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron Saturday afternoon.
Both teams struggled from the floor in the first quarter, with Eds having a 4-3 lead with 1:52 left. A Zymir Knox steal and layup following a pair of Bryan Vlosich FTs made the score 8-3. The Eagles would increase their lead to 12-3 before a Cam Bell steal and basket for Elyria. The Eagles led 12-5 after one.
St. Edward increased its lead to 19-9 early in the second quarter before Elyria responded. The Pioneers hit threes on back to back possessions, and a pair of free throws to cut their deficit to 19-17.
The Eagles responded with a 9-2 run thanks to baskets from Zymir Knox, Carson Link, and Kaleb Gettis to take a 28-19 lead at the half.
Following a pair of FTs and. an Ian Murray basket, St. Edward increased its lead to 37-25. But Elyria would respond once again, with a 10-0 run of their own, including a pair of Rondell Grimmett triples, plus a Cam Bell bucket.
The two teams would trade baskets, as Bryan Vlosich sank a triple, followed by a Jermiah Daniels layup. Carson Link sank a pair of free throws to give Eds a 42-37 lead after three quarters.
Once again, the Eagles would increase their lead, this time to 46-37, thanks to a couple of JT Kelsheimer jumpers on back-to-back possessions. Elyria would respond with a couple of triples on their own. Ian Murray then had a layup, followed by a pair of free throws by Tink Shelton. The Eagle lead stood at 48-45 with 3:47 left.
Despite a less than ideal start to the game, Elyria stayed within reach. After a Cam Bell bucket, Carson Link responded with a runner in the lane. On the next possession, Bell drove and scored for the Pioneers. He hit the game-tying free throw to knot the score at 50 with 2:02 to go.
The Pioneers had a steal on the inbound and had possession, looking to take the lead. But the Eagle defense came up with a stop as JT Kelsheimer blocked a layup attempt. Ian Murray hit a jumper to give St. Eds a 52-50 lead with 1:23 to go.
On the next Elyria possession, Kelsheimer came up with a steal on defense, forcing the Pioneers to foul. Knox missed both free throws, and Elyria got the ball with a chance to tie or win. With ten seconds left, Kelsheimer came up with another steal, forcing Elyria to foul once again.
This time, it was Bryan Vlosich stepping to the line. He hit the first free throw, giving Eds a 53-50 lead with 8.8 seconds to go. The second was no good and Elyria hustled down the court looking to tie the game. But their game-tying three point attempt was no good, and St. Edward celebrated their first regional title since 2022.
In addition to three big stops on defense, senior guard JT Kelsheimer finished with 12 points and five assists. Zymir Knox also finished with 12 points and eleven rebounds. Junior Ian Murray, who had the go-ahead bucket, finished with ten points and seven rebounds.
Elyria got 19 points from senior Rondell Grimmett, who kept the Pioneers in the game going 4-6 from behind the arc. Cam Bell and Jermiah Daniels each finished with nine points.
The Eagles move on to Dayton where they will play Cincinnati Princeton next Saturday at Wright State University.
Extended highlights below:
Credit to Adventure Girl Photography LLC for the cover photo.
