Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Stranahan methodically rolls past Ely for Kreul Classic title
Stranahan has a message for the perennial basketball powerhouses in Broward County.
The Dragons are coming.
Junior guard Dave Herard scored 22 points and junior big man Inady Legiste added 16 in Stranahan’s 53-46 victory over Blanche Ely in the Kreul Classic Elite Challenge bracket championship Saturday night at Coral Springs City Gymnasium.
Herard connected on four 3-pointers on the night, but scored possibly his biggest bucket on an old-fashioned three-point play that stretched the Dragons’ advantage from 47-44 to 50-44 with 1:55 left to play.
Herard had 13 points in the first half and 9 in the second. He was named the bracket MVP.
“We’re trying to be the next powerhouse school,” the 6-foot-2 Herard said of taking down the defending FHSAA Class 8A state champions. “That’s what we’re working on.”
Stranahan (10-2) led 15-14 after one quarter. The Dragons went up 25-22 at the half and took a 38-30 lead into the final period.
The Dragons would build the lead to 41-32 in the fourth before Ely scored nine in a row behind senior Daniel Merrius to tie the game at 41.
From there, however, Herard and junior Daquion Vickers took over. Vickers finished with 8 points.
Merrius led Blanche Ely with 15 points and junior Tyrecke Francois added 9.
“I wanted to do everything I could to win,” a frustrated Merrius said. “Everything possible.”
With the loss, Ely falls to 6-3.
UNDER ARMOUR CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP
Ed W. Clark 68, Westminster Academy 32: Coach Ehren Wallhoff ’s two-time defending Class 4A state champion Lions ran into a buzzsaw in the Chargers from Las Vegas.
Led by Oklahoma signee Jalen Hill, Ed W. Clark made easy work of Westminster Academy (10-2). The Chargers (9-0), ranked No. 1 in Class 4A in Nevada, jumped out to an 11-2 lead and never looked back.
Ed W. Clark led 36-15 by halftime and it was 53-26 going to the fourth quarter.
The 6-7 Hill scored 21 points en route to being named the MVP of the bracket.
“I feel like everything was working for us, especially our defense,” Hill said. “We really picked it up. That picked our offense up.”
“That is an extremely good team that we beat and beat the way we did ... honestly didn’t think we could do that,” Ed W. Clark coach Chad Beeten said. “I know how good they are. I know their reputation and I think our kids just took pride in that.”
Guard Sam Griffin led Westminster with 15 points.
“I think it’s going to help us become better as a team,” Griffin said of the stiff competition. “We just have to come back to practice and get better and just compete harder.”
Griffin and fellow senior Chase Johnston were named to the bracket AllTournament team.
BCAA CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP
Christian Brothers 73, St. Thomas Aquinas 28:
The Colts, a non-public A program in Lincroft, N.J., made quick work of STA to remain unbeaten at 5-0.
Christian Brothers led 16-6 after one quarter, 37-20 by the half and 55-26 going to the fourth quarter. The game was played with a running clock after the Colts took a 63-27 lead with 4:45 to go.
The Raiders (6-4) had won their last four coming into the contest.
“We’ve been playing together better and today we just didn’t execute the things that we asked them to do,” St. Thomas coach Steve Strand said.
Colts 6-10 senior center Josh Cohen, who signed with St. Francis University in Pennsylvania over an offer from FDU, scored 23 points. Cohen was named MVP of the bracket.
St. Thomas senior guard Lenny Ricca and senior big Shane Hunter were named to the All-Tournament team.