By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Adonis Flagler swiped the ball, motored out on the break and realized he wasn’t going to be caught. With a five-point lead and less than 30 seconds remaining, why not go for the highlight?
The 6-foot-1 junior rose up and threw down a one-handed dunk, the capper to NE Douglass’s 82-74 road victory over Bishop Kearney on Friday. Maurice Glenn and the rest of Flagler’s Panthers teammates jumped with him in celebration in front of a boisterous visiting fan section that started a sing-song chant to applaud their team.
NE Douglass improved to 11-3 with the victory as Kearney dropped to 6-9. The Panthers’ victory represented a team that made the big shots when it counted and got 50 points combined from two players: Flagler, who dropped 20 points, and senior Jiahmere Mitchell, who led all scorers with 30.
Kidtrell Blocker led Kearney with 21 points, including 10 in the second quarter, but the Kings’ defeat will be marked by missed opportunities. They had four chances to tie the game with a three-pointer in a two-minute span but missed all four, airballing twice. Panthers junior Lamar Lovelace made BK pay after the fourth miss, draining a triple with 2:22 to play to give Douglass a 74-68 advantage.
The game then became a free throw contest for the Panthers. They cashed in, making seven of eight freebies and forcing a jumpball tie-up on the one they missed that resulted in them keeping the ball. Kearney fouled, Flagler scored six of the last eight points and Douglass had its fourth win in five tries.
“I can’t speak any more highly of their efforts. They battled,” Douglass coach Kyle Crandall said. “We played our five starters more minutes than I had anticipated. You take a risk of that, they could wear out down the stretch, but I think the fourth quarter they showed the grit, the heart, the determination that this team is starting to play with now.
“I couldn’t be any more pleased with the fourth quarter. Unfortunately we allowed Bishop Kearney to narrow the gap a little bit but then they were never able to come all the way back. We were ultimately able to pull away. Proud of our free throw shooting down the stretch; that was huge. And also on the boards, we had 11 or 12 rebounds in the fourth quarter as well. That was another key part to the run down the stretch.”
Trevian Miller added 12 points, another one of the four Panthers who posted double figures. Lovelace scored 16 points, none bigger than his last three.
“That shot that Lamar hit, it’s one of those that when he takes it you hold your breath and then it’s ‘Good shot, kid,'” Crandall commented. “That was a clutch shot in that part of the game and ultimately was able to distance us. Lamar has been a great three-point shooter for us all year. He’s been one of the kids that’s really stepped up into his role and really excelled and has helped our team out a lot.”
The Kings and Panthers each played in the RAP Invitational on Monday, giving Crandall and his staff a good advance scouting opportunity. Kearney dropped that one in the final moments as well but has posed a unique challenge due to its varied roster availability. With Jamal Williams and Deiontray Dixon recording 12 points each and Michael Gentile adding 10 of his own, the Kings were a worthy opponent that received praise from the opposition.
“The issue with Bishop Kearney is that they’ve had some different combinations of players, so each night’s a little bit different,” Crandall assessed. “This is the first time or one of the few times that they’ve had the whole team together. They’re a very solid, athletic team.
“I’m telling you right now: All they’ve gotta do is put a couple things together and that’s a team that can make a run in AAA. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
Other scorers: NE Douglass – Maurice Glenn (5)
Bishop Kearney – Miles Monchecourt (9), Miles Rose (6), Antwan Williams (4)
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