Andre Rodgers '21 delivered when his team needed him the most as he nailed a buzzer-beating three pointer to lift the Gilmour Academy boys basketball team to an upset 47-46 win at Warrensville Heights High School last evening in the OHSAA District Semifinals.
With the win, the Lancers advance to the District Final, which they will host tomorrow, Saturday, March 6, against Padua Franciscan High School. It will mark Gilmour's first appearance in a District Final since 2013.
"I'm just really proud of their effort first and foremost," head coach Dan DeCrane said in his postgame comments. "We've come back from so much adversity this year. And to see a group like that never give up, continue to gel and be ready for a game like this with the schedule we've played and all the pauses and challenges we've faced—I'm just thrilled for them."
Rodgers' winning shot was made more unlikely by the fact that he did not play for much of the first half after being forced to exit the game with an injury in the first quarter.
Ryan Mueller '22 posted a double-double to lead Gilmour, netting a team-high 11 points along with 10 rebounds and two blocks. He led a balanced offensive attack for the Lancers that saw Adisa Molton '23 tally nine and Ben DeMell '21 finish with eight.
However, Gilmour's defense may have been the bigger story of the night. The Lancers held Warrensville more than 20 points below the Tigers' season scoring average, holding the hosts below 50 points for only the second time this season.
Warrensville, which was the highest-seeded team in the District, owned an 11-5 lead in the later stages of the first quarter when Rodgers dove for a loose ball on the floor and was fouled. He was forced to exit the game for medical treatment, but Gilmour did not fold upon losing one of its senior leaders.
A three-pointer by Dorjan Flowers '23 was the next basket of the game for either team, and Brandon Rose '23 followed with a layup as the first quarter expired to pull the Lancers within three (13-10).
After Gilmour briefly took the lead midway through the second quarter, Warrensville scored late in the frame to take a one-point edge (23-22) into intermission.
With Warrensville having taken a 30-25 lead into the later stages of the third quarter, Gilmour proceeded to go on a 12-0 run, whipping its bench and fans into a frenzy. Mueller had six points during the run while Matt Benisek '21 and Molton both hit threes to put Gilmour up 37-30.
Warrensville would respond though, utilizing an 11-2 spurt to retake the lead (41-39) as the game entered the closing stages.
With Gilmour still trailing by two points with one minute left, Rose found DeMell with a pass over the top of the defense. The senior hesitated to balance himself before laying the ball in to tie the score.
The game remained tied with under 30 seconds to play. Gilmour elected to foul the Tigers in hopes of ensuring the Lancers would receive the ball again.
Warrensville made the two ensuing free throws, and Gilmour called timeout after advancing the ball into the frontcourt.
Out of the timeout, Rodgers would receive the ball on the left wing with the clock winding down. After taking a jab step, he launched a step-back three while also absorbing some contact from his defender.
Rodgers' shot slipped through the basket, and the Gilmour bench stormed the court in celebration when the buzzer sounded soon afterward.
(Watch the winning shot below.)
"That moment was crazy," Rodgers said. "Just celebrating with all my teammates. I know we've worked so hard for this. It was just great."
The District Final against Padua will be the rubber match between the teams this season. Gilmour claimed a 74-69 win over the Bruins at home in late December, but Padua grabbed a 65-54 win in its home game in late January.
"They're good, and they're playing great basketball right now," DeCrane said of his team's next opponent. "We've won one and lost one with them, and it's going to be a fun rubber match. We got a lot of work to do. I know they'll be ready for us, but we're excited."
Tipoff for Saturday's contest is set for 4 p.m. The game will be livestreamed by the Gilmour Digital Media Club. Visit gilmour.org/live to tune in!
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