The Charles H. Flowers varsity boys basketball team left Eleanor Roosevelt High school a 6-4 team Tuesday night after a 49-40 loss to the still undefeated Raiders. A big momentum swing from a buzzer-beating three by the senior Trevor Evans at the end of the third quarter propelled the Raiders into the lead, which they never gave back.
Trevor, along with fellow returning seniors Tiwian Kendley and Malachi Alexander are providing the senior leadership this team needs in order to reach the Comcast Center in February.
Head coach Brendan O’Connell credits his team’s chemistry for their success. “This years team, compared to last years, is better offensively. They have great chemistry out there.”
Newly appointed senior point guard Emmanuel Matey has been a big part of this years success. He seemingly controls every game with his patience and his precise selection in when and where he attacks the defense. Matey received high praise from O’Connell for his “great passing, defense, and excellent ball handling”.
Before the game, O’Connell said he knew that Flowers was going to be a tough matchup for the Raiders. “They’re as experienced as we are, “ explained O’Connell, who correctly predicted that the game would “ come down to the fourth quarter.”
After Evans’ shot to end the third quarter, the Raiders stood with a 34-32 point lead going into the fourth, where they held the Jaguars to just 8 points. In all they outscored the Jaguars 27-12 in the second half, beating a team they struggled to defeat in two meetings last year.
The girls varsity team also improved to 10-0. They defeated the Lady Jaguars 59-52 at Flowers.