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03/11 - 6:00 PM Boys Basketball Final Lakewood 31 St. Edward 75
BRECKSVILLE, Ohio -- The crosstown rivalry belonged to No. 1 St. Edward boys basketball from the start, as the Eagles cruised to a 75-31 victory over No. 11 Lakewood at Brecksville on Wednesday.
Behind 17 points from junior Derek Funderburk, the Eagles advanced to Saturday's Brecksville district final, where they will play the winner of No. 4 Berea-Midpark and No. 7 Elyria at 7 p.m.
A 14-0 run start to the game set the tone for what would become a long night for the Rangers. Using impressive perimeter defense, St. Edward built a big cushion and was able to hit halftime with a 28-8 lead.
The fast start was crucial to making sure the game was never very close.
"It was huge," said St. Edward coach Eric Flanney. "We hadn't done it very much towards the end of the year so it was good for us. If they have any doubt, you want to keep that doubt in their mind."
Joining Nichols as the only other St. Edward player to score in double-figures was senior Kipper Nichols, who finished with 16 points.
What it means
In a game that would have been absolutely devastating to lose, St. Edward moves past Lakewood and continues its state title march. The Eagles are now three wins away from a return to Columbus.
While the game wasn't very close, it did give St. Edward a good look at a quality zone defense.
"We've seen a lot of zone now, and that should only make us better against teams that are going to try it against us," Flannery said.
What also should help going forward is the team was able to get Funderburk going. If he's at the top of his game, the Eagles are tough to beat.
The loss ends another nice playoff run for Lakewood, which has established itself as a playoff matchup nightmare for certain teams.
Play of the game
Funderburk exerted his defensive presence all game but one block in particular in the third quarter on a Malik Leisinger drive was especially devastating, as it set up a 3-point play for Nichols on the other end.
Crucial run
The Eagles were able to exploit their size advantage right from the very beginning and jumped out to a 14-0 run. Funderburk was hard to stop in the post. He had seven points during that stretch.
Who stood out for St. Edward
Funderburk: While Funderburk was very efficient offensively, he also made it nearly impossible for Lakewood to get anything going inside due to his shot-blocking ability.
Nichols: The senior scored all but two of his points in the second half. This game might be the start of a hot streak to end this season similar to last year.
Who stood out for Lakewood
Jack Witri: It was tough for anyone on Lakewood to get going, but Witri didn't seem overwhelmed. His shot wasn't falling, but he still had a team-high nine points.
St. Edward sound bites
Flannery on stopping Lakewood's outside shooting: "We got after it and were aggressive. We understood what their strategy was going to be. We knew what they had to do to stay in the game."
Lakewood sound bites
Lakewood coach Phil Argento on the loss: "We did things tonight negatively that I haven't seen us do in a long time."
What's next
St. Edward will play the winner of No. 4 Berea-Midpark and No. 7 Elyria in the district final on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.
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