Executive Education falls to Devon Prep in double OT
Executive Education players and coaches likely will spend the offseason thinking about what might have been.
But at the end of the day — and the season — the Raptors won’t have to second-guess their effort after a 62-57 double-overtime loss to perennial PIAA power Devon Prep.
“I’m proud of them,” said Executive Education coach Ray Barbosa. “We didn’t win a state title, that’s fine. We’ve got 23 wins and five losses. These guys put a lot of work into this. We made it this far. There are a lot of teams, programs and players that would love to be in the position we are now.”
But shortly after their second straight exit from the PIAA playoffs in the 3A boys basketball quarterfinals, the Raptors could only think about what might have been.
District 11 champion Executive Education (23-5) led 53-49 with less than two minutes left in the first overtime after 6-foot-11 senior Lamine Sanoh scored the first two baskets in overtime. But District 12 champ Devon Prep (13-13), playing at home in Chester County, scored the next six points and led 55-53 with 17 seconds left in the first overtime.
Rylan Muniz had his potential game-winning 3-point shot blocked. He scrambled to get the ball back and made a shot from just inside the arc with 2.3 seconds left to force a second overtime.
Muniz, a 5-11 senior, hit five 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 19 points. He had to work for everything as Devon Prep had a defender stuck to him the entire game.
“Rylan’s been performing the last four years for us,” Barbosa said. “That kid’s got the heart of the lion. The kid’s the smallest kid out on the court and he performs the best.”
Zane Conlon, who scored a game-high 22 points, hit a 3-pointer for the first points of the second overtime to put Devon Prep, the 2022 PIAA 3A champion, ahead to stay.
Gabe Hornberger, who scored 15 points for the Raptors, answered with two free throws. Those were Executive Education’s only points of the second OT.
Devon Prep, which also lost in the state quarterfinals last year, got 21 points from Reece Craft to deny Executive Education a chance to play in the semifinals.
“Our guys fought,” Barbosa said. “I’m proud of them with what they did this season. We’ve just got to get back to the drawing board and figure this round out.”
They’ll have to do it without Muniz, Sanoh and five other seniors who played their final games. Hornberger, a 6-4 sharpshooter, Jayden Shipley and Elias Lopez are the top players who will return. Lopez finished with 11 points.
“These guys raised the bar for this program,” Barbosa said. “We got to back-to-back quarterfinals. I’m hoping we continue to fight and guys continue to work hard, and one day we can get over this hump.”