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03/21 - 7:00 PM Boys Basketball Final Shaker Heights 56 Garfield Heights 61
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The third time was the charm for Garfield Heights boys basketball as the Bulldogs avenged two regular season losses to Shaker Heights with a 61-56 Division I regional final win on Saturday at Cleveland State.
The Bulldogs (24-3) were able to get Raiders standout Esa Ahmad in foul trouble and took advantage to advance to their first state semifinal since 2011 and third in school history.
"It feels good," said Garfield Heights coach Sonny Johnson. "These kids deserve it. They are a great bunch of kids. They work very hard. I always say you win with great kids."
Garfield Heights is now set to play in Columbus against Westerville South in a Division I state semifinal. The game will be played on Friday at 5:15 p.m.
An ugly first half was played to the liking of Shaker Heights (20-7). The Raiders never trailed and took a 24-19 lead into the break. Unsurprisingly, it was Ahmad leading the way for the Raiders with 11 points at the half. He finished with 37 points.
Junior Willie Jackson led the Bulldogs with 18 points.
What it means
Garfield Heights has climbed the mountain again and is headed back to the state tournament. The Bulldogs avenged two of their three losses with the win against Shaker Heights, and if things play out a certain way next week, they could have a chance to avenge that other loss against St. Edward, which is in the other side of the final four bracket.
"They were saying it's hard to beat a team three times," Jackson said. "I told my coach at halftime when we played bad that we weren't going to lose."
The reason Garfeld Heights is here is the way everyone matured this season. Jackson's offensive development was obvious, but the fact that five players scored at least 10 points in this game says wonders about how deep and balanced Garfield Heights has become.
The loss is especially devastating for Shaker Heights because it means the end of the Ahmad era. With Ahmad, the Raiders were unable to get over the hump of the regional tournament. Still, it takes nothing away from the career of Ahmad, who was one of Northeast Ohio's best players for four years and has won the cleveland.com Player of the Year award two straight seasons.
Play of the game
With Shaker Heights leading 28-24 in the third quarter, Ahmad picked up his fourth foul and had to sit nearly eight minutes. That was essentially the ball game. Just shortly after, the Bulldogs took the lead and never handed it back.
Crucial run
With Ahmad on the bench, the Bulldogs went on a 13-5 run. Frankie Hughes hit two crucial 3-pointers during the stretch, and Garfield Heights scored just one field goal. The Raiders could not establish a scoring option with Ahmad out.
Who stood out for Garfield Heights
Jackson: The junior was his usual self, as he finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. He only turned the ball over once.
Branden Johnson: The senior was huge for the Bulldogs. He played solid defense on Ahmad and finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds. He's an x-factor.
Who stood out for Shaker Heights
Ahmad: Despite essentially not playing for a full quarter because of foul trouble, he finished with 37 points. It's not the result he wanted, but Ahmad still went out with a bang.
Garfield Heights sound bites
Branden Johnson on rebounds: "The key was to get the rebound and not let them get anything off the glass. No second chances."
Sonny Johnson on the difference in the game: "I told them before that Danny [Young] has a good team, but he's counting on one guy who is an outstanding player. I'm counting on the whole team."
Sonny Johnson on Ahmad's fourth foul: "I basically was about to shout like I was in church. I was excited because that really turned the game around. You can't stop him. He makes so many plays."
Shaker Heights sound bites
Coach Danny Young on the loss: "We lost the game on the backboard. They had 41 rebounds to our 26, and 14 of theirs were offensive."
Young on Ahmad: "Esa's name speaks for itself. He's a phenomenal player. He's going to have a wonderful career at West Virginia. He and Terry [Rozier] put Shaker Heights back to relevance."
Key stats
42 - points in the second half by Garfield Heights
27.3 - 3-point percentage for Shaker Heights
15 - rebounding margin in Garfield Heights' favor
6 - most points scored by a Shaker Heights player other than Ahmad
5 - players with at least 10 points for Garfield Heights
Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.
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