For a short stretch of time in its Class 4A boys basketball regional semifinal game against Stevenson, Maine East out played the mighty Patriots.
Over the span of three minutes during the second quarter on March 3, the Blue Demons trimmed a 28-13 deficit to nine. Maine East guards fed the ball to senior post Ezeka Omeke inside. When Omeke made 1-of-2 free throws with 3:20 left in the first half, the score was 30-21 Patriots.
“I was [using] a pump fake, get them off their feet and try and get a foul,” Omeke said. “We got it [the deficit] to nine and that’s pretty good.”
But nine was as close as the Blue Demons got. Stevenson closed the half on a 14-3 run and at the break, Maine East trailed 44-24. In the second half, the Patriots put an extra defender on Omeke and the Blue Demons were not able to stop Stevenson star guards Jalen Brunson and Connor Cashaw, who combined to score 44 points.
The 78-39 final score ended Maine East’s season but it did not damper enthusiasm for how the Blue Demons finished the year and for what lies ahead.
“[Stevenson] is one of the top teams in the nation and they play a schedule that reflects that. What are you going to say?” Maine East coach Dave Genis said. “My message to our guys was that we want to go out and compete and no knockout punches right away. Take it as long into the 15th round as we can and I thought we did that.”
Junior guard Milan Grover added: “This year we have 12 [wins] and we won a regional game. It felt good to get a regional playoff win.”
In order to play Stevenson, the Blue Demons had to beat Niles West in the regional quarterfinals on March 2. They did, winning 63-52. It was the first time since 2009 that Maine East won a postseason game. Not many would have predicted a playoff win when the Blue Demons dropped seven of their first eight games. But a 3-1 record at the Luther North Holiday Tournament sparked an in-season revival.
Before the Stevenson loss, Maine East won seven of its last 10. The spell of wins began with a 56-53 win over Niles North on Jan. 23.
“As soon as we beat [Niles North] we went on a streak. I think the atmosphere in the locker room [was], ‘We can do this, we can get a high ranking in the sectional,’ ” Grover said.
In the regional tournament, Maine East dressed 17 players. Only five were seniors (Omeke, David Opalka, Devang Patel, Robinson Michel and Nick Kanjou). Grover, the team’s 5-foot-9 point guard, should combine with 6-3 Ashoor Doushow, 6-5 Calvin Jean-Louis and 6-1 Wilson Noriega to form an experienced senior class in 2015-16.
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“It’s nice to have a group that is coming back and carrying forward and pass it down to the younger guys,” Genis said.
Jon Kerr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @prepspioneer