The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Division I classic goes to Cardinals
Mentor outlasts Solon, gains spot in district final vs. Brush-Heights winner
Despite the fact that Mentor had beaten Solon by a combined 35 points in two regular season wins, few, if any, of the fans who filed into Daugherty Gymnasium at Euclid on March 6 for the third meeting between the teams this season thought that this meeting would be anything like those.
Not in Euclid’s gym, where the two had met for the district final the last three seasons. Not with a berth in this season’s district final on the line. Not with the red-hot Comets coming in riding an eightgame winning streak.
What most fans expected in this Division I district semifinal was exactly what they got: a 32-minute, knock-down, drag-out struggle between two rivals that know each other better than they do anyone else.
In a game that featured 11 lead changes, it took a couple dives on the floor for loose balls, a few critical rebounds, some big shots, and four of the most clutch free throws of the season by senior Alex Edwards for Mentor to prevail in a thriller, 60-58. Mentor will play either Brush or Cleveland Heights on March 9 at Euclid for the district final.
“I was just calm, and I just wanted to knock down some shots and help Mentor advance to the next round,” Edwards said. “That’s all I wanted to do. I’ve been in the gym putting up the same shots for weeks, and it was just like being in an empty gym.”
After Mentor sophomore Luke Chicone dove and emerged with the ball in a scramble that precipitated a timeout with 52 seconds left to play, Mentor passed the ball around until Edwards drew a foul and calmly knocked down two free throws to extend the Cardinals’ lead to 58-54 with 30 seconds left.
Mike Bekelja scored for Solon to cut it to 5856 with 23 ticks left, then Edwards was fouled again and stepped to the line with the same task at hand-make it a two-possession game. The weather outside wasn’t as cool as the proverbial ice in Edwards’ veins as he came through once again to make it 60-56.
Junior Chad Rogers corralled a Solon miss, and by the time Solon scored a final time on a Nick Close putback, only 4 seconds remained, and a wideopen Luke Floriea caught the ensuing inbounds pass downcourt to seal Mentor’s sweep of the Comets.
“No,” Mentor coach Bob Krizancic said when asked if there had been four bigger free throws this season than those by Edwards.”He’s been so solid, he’s been the great complement to Luke and Luke. He’s been a magnificent captain, a great role model, and he was as cool as you can be. You’re either going home, or you’re continuing on, and those four free throws were huge.”
Rogers led all scorers with 22 points and 10 rebounds, four of those boards coming in the fourth quarter. Floriea added 20 points and four rebounds, and Edwards finished with 12 points and four caroms.
“They definitely brought a lot of intensity,” Rogers said of Solon. “We just had to match it, and we did and came out with the win.”
Mentor (22-2) took its first lead, 8-7, with 3:53 left in the first quarter on a layup by Chicone. Solon pushed ahead to take a 14-12 lead at the end of the frame on a three-point play and two free throws by Marcus Steele.
Floriea beat the buzzer with a layup to give Mentor a 30-29 lead at halftime. Rogers scored on a pass from Floriea in the third quarter for the Cardinals’ largest lead of the game, 39-34, but Solon drew with 48-46 by the end of the stanza on a Trent Williams basket, then caught the Cardinals and passed them to start the fourth on two foul shots by Close and a Bekelja bucket that put Solon ahead, 50-48, with 6:52 left to play.
Six points by Rogers and six by Edwards-including the clutch four from the line, along with Rogers’ four boards and dives to the floor to win 50-50 balls by Floriea and Chicone were enough in the fourth quarter for Mentor to survive the clash.
“I knew this was gonna be a war,” Krizancic said. “Every single possession. It was a great game to win, and to play in. I have an unbelievable amount of respect for (Solon). Their experience definitely outweighed ours, and that was my concern. I thought our composure, and breaking the press down the stretch, was super.”
Solon (16-9) saw the outstanding careers of nine seniors come to an end, a year after finishing as state runner-up. Close led the Comets with 16 points, and Williams added 13. Steele had nine, while Bekelja and David Marbury finished with eight and Khalil Jones had six.
Three months after it all began, the ride, somewhat unexpected as it has been, has landed Mentor in a familiar place — the Division I district final at Euclid.
“I love our 6,7,8-man rotation,” Krizancic said. “I really like our chances right now.”