Ferndale in semifinals; Eaglets’ season is over
Jason Drake’s late heroics power Eagles past Cros-Lex in double OT
EASTPOINTE >> The Deuce got loose Tuesday and made previously unbeaten Croswell-Lex- ington pay. We’re talking big money, people.
Ferndale’s Jason (Deuce) Drake took over his club’s Division 2 boys basketball quarterfinal late and lifted the Eagles into its first final four in more than three and a half decades with a postseason performance for the ages in a 7368 double-overtime victory in a game played at Eastpointe East Detroit High School.
The fearless 6-1 combo guard’s running floater off-the-glass with 34.5 seconds left in the second extra session proved the game-winner, making it 6968. His pocket-pick steal and lay-up on the ensuing possession widened the gap. Junior swingman Treyvon Lewis’ two free throws in the closing ticks secured the win for Ferndale.
Drake scored 30 points on the night. He got to Ferndale back in December via a transfer from the state’s No. 1 team in Division 1, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s when his family moved into the area.
“Deuce made big plays all night, he did a lot of damage in the open floor and finished at the rim for us at times it looked like the game could be slipping away from us,” Ferndale head coach Juan Rickman said. “We jumped on Deuce’s back and he carried us in key spots tonight.”
Ferndale went ahead 34-33 at the half in the fast-paced contest, but fell behind 57-49 entering the fourth quarter. Drake’s 3
in the final minute of the third kept the Eagles deficit in single digits. Two quick buckets by Drake early in the fourth pulled Ferndale within striking distance at 57-55 with 5:30 remaining in regulation.
Eagles’ sophomore point guard Cameron Reed converted a traditional three-point play on transition, getting his defender in the air and going up-and-under for the hoop, foul and free throw, to knot the intense affair 60-60. Ferndale then held the ball for the final 3:30 of the fourth quarter, however didn’t connect on a potential game-winning hoop near the basket.
Drake missed two bunnies in the final seconds of the first overtime, however, his confidence was far from broken. Instead, he went into “break their heart” mode and ended Croswell-Lexington’s lights-out 2021 campaign.
For a short span in the second overtime, it appeared as if Croswell-Lexington was about to surge past the finish line with a nail-biting triumph. After going 12 minutes with only a single made field goal, the Pioneers finally rediscovered their groove shooting the rock – backto-back triples by Pioneers All-State small forward Hunter Soper and senior sniper Tyler Johnson gave Croswell-Lexington a 6867 lead at the 40.2 second mark.
Drake took the inbounds pass after Johnson’s 3 and jetted down the court for his gamewinning shot. The steal that followed was the cherry and whip cream on top of the sundae for Drake and his teammates.
“The defensive energy we brought in the fourth quarter translated into a flurry of offense,” Drake said. “We put our faith in our defense and let things flow from there. Playing good, hard-nosed defense can make up for a lot of your sins. The game was on the line and everybody, myself included, turned it up a notch on both ends of the floor and we’re moving on to fight another day.”
Soper wrapped up his outstanding prep career with a team-high 24 points for Blue Water Athletic Conference champion Croswell-Lexington (19-1). Johnson added 16 points.
Ferndale is 15-4 and won the OAA Red this season. The Eagles head to Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids Thursday for a semifinal throwdown with Grand Rapids Catholic Central, maybe Michigan’s best team on the westside of the state.
The last time Ferndale punched a ticket to the final four was in 1985.
Lewis sheeted 17 points for the Eagles in Tuesday’s win and senior center Jack Kennedy was once again a force in the paint, delivering a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds. Kennedy scored critical baskets in both overtimes.
“This win means so much, it’s an unreal feeling to know we’ve done something that hasn’t been done in this program in a long time,” Lewis said.
“Ferndale has always been known for basketball. Now, we’re known for getting Ferndale basketball back to where it used to be, and we intend on staying there.”