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02/26 - 7:30 PM Boys Basketball Final Villa Angela-St. Joseph 50 St. Edward 65
LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Fueled by a 29-6 run to end the game, St. Edward had a senior night worth celebrating with a 65-50 home win over Villa Angela-St. Joseph on Thursday.
Senior Darien Knowles stepped up for the Eagles (16-5), as he finished with a game-high 21 points in the nonleague victory over the Vikings (15-4).
Knowles needed to step up for St. Edward, which is ranked No. 5 in the cleveland.com Top 25, because leading scorer Kipper Nichols sat for most of the game with foul trouble.
"We missed Kipper for a big part of our game, and that was a big part of our offense, and we had to make adjustments," Knowles said. "I got going, and it was my night."
A 13-0 run to close the half gave the Vikings the push it needed to hit the break with a 32-22 lead. It was the combination of Brian Parker and Dererk Pardon who got No. 2 Villa Angela-St. Joseph going with a combined 18 points at halftime.
What it means
St. Edward is a legit Division I state title contender. To win a game like this where Nichols sat most of the night with foul trouble and still beat Villa Angela-St. Joseph by 15 points shows just how deep and talented the Eagles are.
It was a big night for the St. Edward backcourt, which was the team's only question mark coming into the season. Knowles showed that he can play big games against quality opponents when his team needs him. Elsewhere, Sean Flannery was causing havoc all night by pressuring the Vikings' guards.
"I've been saying all year that if we get a lot of production out of our point guard and Darien, we can be very, very good," said St. Edward coach Eric Flannery. "Darien took over tonight, and it was good to see."
St. Edward also played elite defense for the second half, specifically against Carlton Bragg. Using a zone defense look, the Eagles forced Bragg away from the basket. He scored just six points.
The Vikings will need to some quick soul searching now. The team has lost two games in a row, and a loss to Central Catholic on Friday would likely cost the Vikings the outright league title.
Play of the game
While it was Knowles who made most of the big plays in the second half, it was Derek Funderburk who shook the gym with a dunk that tied the game 44-44. Although the Vikings took a brief lead after, that dunk kept the momentum flowing in the Eagles' favor.
Crucial run
There's nowhere else to look other than the 29-6 run to end the game for the Eagles. It started with a 25-2 stretch before the Vikings got some late baskets when the game was well out of hand. The run began with Eagles trailing 44-36, and Knowles had 12 points during the stretch.
Who stood out for St. Edward
Funderburk: After not scoring in the first half, Funderburk poured in 12 points in the second half. Once it was clear Nichols wasn't going to play much because of fouls, Funderburk stepped up.
Knowles: It was Knowles' night on Thursday. The senior forced turnovers, finished through traffic and was the motor his team needed. He scored 14 points in the second half.
Who stood out for Villa Angela-St. Joseph
Pardon: The Northwestern commit finished with 12 points and played strong defense inside. He kept Funderburk off balance for most of the first half.
Parker: The senior was one of the few Vikings who brought intensity from the very beginning. He fought for all of his shots and finished with 18 points.
St. Edward sound bites
Flannery on turning it around: "We were kind of waiting for something to happen, and it wasn't happening. We needed to try and create something from the bench to make it happen. A lot of it just goes to Darien."
Flannery on what the win means: "I'll tell you if we make it down to Columbus. We knew looking at our schedule we were going to play Shaker, Central and Joe's down the stretch. We knew win or lose we were going to be ready and tested."
Knowles on the strong finish: "It was just the intensity. When we pick it up defensively, and we get in the open court, and we're pushing the ball, we play a lot better."
Knowles on being in the zone: "It's an amazing feeling to feel like everything is below you, and the crowd doesn't matter. Everything fades away, and it's just you and the ball."
Villa Angela-St. Joseph sound bites
Vikings coach Babe Kwasniak on the loss: "I heard the 'overrated' chant, and I think it's accurate. We're not as good as a lot of people think we are. We're very talented. That's about where it stops."
What's next
Villa Angela-St. Joseph travels to Central Catholic on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
St. Edward plays the winner of Nordonia and Lincoln West in a Division I sectional final on March 7 at 7 p.m.
Follow our new high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports Tweets and score updates with the #NEOvarsity hashtag.
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