St. Edward surges past Green, 71-53, for return to OHSAA state final four

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The announcer Saturday at Cleveland State's Wolstein Center presented the regional boys basketball championship to St. Edward and reminded its players: "They don't need a map to Columbus."

Another state wrestling championship earlier this month followed the school's OHSAA football title in the fall.

As a result of the Eagles' 71-53 win vs. Green, they are headed back to Columbus for next week's state semifinals. St. Edward (19-8) will play defending state champ Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller 6 p.m. Friday night at the Schottenstein Center.

To St. Edward coach Eric Flannery, this trip does not happen without senior guard Demetrius Terry.

A highlight reel waiting to happen, Terry scored 17 points and took to the air around the basket as St. Edward separated itself on the scoreboard from Green (22-5). Junior forward Devontae Blanton scored a game-high 23 points with eight rebounds, but Terry — one of two seniors in the Eagles' starting lineup — ignited them well before this game.

"Come the end of the season and the tournament, I finally saw him get in his teammates' faces," Flannery said. "I finally saw him talk about playing with energy and doing the little things. Sometimes it takes the season to build that; make something really important at the end. He has been as locked in as any player I've seen at this point."

Part of it was the realization this is his last chance to make another run at Columbus. Another part was the lesson of last year's tournament exit in the regional semifinals.

"Last year we looked past Lorain," Terry said of that loss, "but this year we locked in on each team."

It began with one tuneup vs. Villa Angela-St. Joseph, following a loss to Solon, that set St. Edward on its six-game win streak. The Eagles threw six defenses at Green on Saturday, the most Flannery has used this season. It is the result of his approach all season, implementing a variation of sets in practice but sticking to motion offenses and man-to-man defenses in regular-season games.

"I'm kind of stubborn that way," Flannery said. "I want these guys to learn how to play and we've taken some losses because of that. But when tournament time comes, it's win at all costs. I think you have to coach at all costs."

St. Edward's urgency increased Saturday when Green jumped out to a 9-2 lead. Senior guard Kaleb Martin, who finished with 16 points, led that charge with an early 3-pointer — one of only two made for either team — but the Eagles remained close enough after eight minutes.

They took the lead on consecutive baskets by Blanton and Grant Huffman. St. Edward went into halftime with a 24-18 lead and built on it from there.

"I really think it started in the first quarter," Green coach Mark Kinsley said. "Shots we would normally make just wouldn't drop. I thought we'd have a double-digit lead."

Meanwhile, St. Edward simply attacked the basket. The Eagles were 25-of-45 from the floor, despite missing all nine shots beyond the arc.

"It's no secret: we made zero 3s," Flannery said. "We're not the best shooting team I've ever had, but they're smart. We get to the rim very well and guys can create."

Much of that has to do with Blanton, a 6-foot-6 forward who missed most of his freshman season because of a knee injury. He returned in time that year to help St. Edward reach the state semifinals in 2017.

That run came with Terry as a sophomore, plus Blanton, Huffman and Montorie Foster as freshmen. All four played extensively for that state semifinal trip.

"The expectations are so high," Flannery said. "People say 'you got there in the final four when these guys were so young. What happened?' Well, it's not so easy."

Add in an injury that cost Huffman time last season, and Flannery added that his core four are not necessarily as seasoned as it looks on paper.

Huffman finished with 13 points Saturday, while Foster scored 14 points with another eight rebounds. They watched as Terry and his fellow seniors took the regional championship trophy, one that eluded them a year ago but is a familiar sight for teams wearing green and gold.

"It was our turn to go to state, too," Terry said.

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