3-pointers, late turnovers catch up to Eagles
Aldine – Using its quickness and shooting a barrage of 3-pointers is the way Cy-Ridge takes advantage of its lack in size. It’s no surprise that screaming Ram fans were pleased to see 95-percent of its shot selection come from behind the arc.
Senior guards, Tone Reynolds and Trevyon Williams drilled back-to-back third quarter ending 3-pointers to help Cy Ridge take control of a lead it would never relinquish, in shooting down the Eisenhower Eagles, 76-70 on Monday night in the first round of the Region III 5A Boys Basketball playoffs on Tuesday night at the Campbell Center.
Cy-Ridge will face Elsik who advanced by knocking off Cy-Lakes, in the Area Round of the playoff, Friday, 6:30 at the Coleman Coliseum.
Reynolds wide open trey from the left baseline was the start of the end of Eisenhower’s evening. Following, Williams stole a slow moving ball just before half court and got off an unbalanced 3-pointer before the buzzer sounded, to give the Rams’ a 58-54 lead after the third quarter.
Shaquae Lawson and Trevyon Williams led the Rams with 17 points each and Tone Reynolds added 13.
“We stayed the course, though we turned the ball over. Coach talked with us at the half about staying the course with our style of play,” said Cy-Ridge senior guard Williams
Eisenhower led 40-34 at the half and opened the third quarter up, 40-36 before the Rams begin slowly dissecting its perimeter defense. Trading two-point baskets for 3-pointers finally caught up to the Eagles. Spencer Smith, Shaquae Lawson and Williams all connected on timely 3-pointers, cutting Eisenhower’s lead, 47-45 with 3:06 left in the quarter.
“Their scrappy and we didn’t match their energy,” said first year coach Mark D. Patton. I inherited a team that won five games last season and we came back this year with a 24-10 record.”
Jaylen Brooks and Robert Stevenson tossed in 19 points each for Eisenhower and Joe Neal scored 12.
Emotions served Cy-Ridge well in its motion filled offense. The ability to make the extra pass, finding the open player paid off for the Rams. Only two first quarter shots were in front of the three point line.
“We knew coming in these guys shot over 1700 3-pointers. They made about 900 of them. We knew how they were going to play. They are an unbelievable shooting team. We wanted to contest them but we didn’t make the plays down the stretch,” added Patton.
An action-packed start watched Eisenhower hold a two-point lead, 22-20 after the first quarter. The tempo was quick with both teams trading baskets.
In the second quarter, Eisenhower settled down and took control after Brooks’ layup gave it a 28-24 lead. Stevenson presents were felt along the offensive boards as well as finding scoring lanes to the basket, which helped to increase its lead, 30-24.
The fourth quarter, much like the second, turned in favor of the Rams. Femi Onwuamaegbu and Williams swished four free throws before Stevenson layup followed a foul, which closed Cy-Ridge’s lead, 65-64. However, Reynolds followed up a missed 3-point attempt by Robert Eledu, rebounding and scoring the basket all at once. Right after, Lawson’s steal and a quick pass to junior guard Alex Lavan resulted in trey, pushing the Rams’ lead, 69-62.
Ball movement and quickness also aided the Rams’ cause.
“We try to take advantage of what we have, shooting 50 to 60 3-pointers a game. It’s a difference than having a big man,” says Dibble.
Still fighting, the Eagles pulled within three points, twice, 69-66 and 71-68 when Neal and Christian Miller both scored on penetrating layups, but that would be as close as Eisenhower would get as the Rams closed out the quarter with Lawson and Williams hit 3-of-4 free throws to shut the door.
“We’ve been preaching to them all year, but first of all, Eisenhower is a great team, so we knew we were in for a battle. We talked about staying the course. We do what we do. We shoot threes, crash the boards and press. Our shots weren’t falling in the first half. We told them to keep playing it and they did. We started hitting some shots in that second half and we did a good job of stepping up and hitting some free throws,”Cy-Ridge coach Steve Dibble said.
