Boys Basketball: Everette Coleman’s late layup wins it

Updated: February 17, 2012 10:52PM

EAST CHICAGO — Senior Night could not have ended in a more storybook fashion.

Down by one with 8.4 seconds remaining, a perfectly-executed inbound play found EC Central senior Everette Coleman open in the paint for a game-winning layup, as the Cardinals defeated Bishop Noll 60-58 in their final home game of the season.

“I didn’t even have time to think,” said Coleman, who was fouled on the play and hit the ensuing free throw for a three-point play.

“I had to shoot it with my left hand,” added the right-handed Coleman. “It just felt good (off my hand).

On that final play, EC Central guard Joshua Ochoa circled the three-point line as a decoy, drawing the attention of the Bishop Noll defense. Coleman was stacked near the free throw line next to teammate Hyrone Edwards. Once Ochoa cleared, followed by Edwards, Coleman rolled down a wide-open lane to the basket and received a perfect pass from junior Anfernee Brown.

“We thought that if Josh went through, they may bite, because he’d hit a few baskets,” said EC Central head coach Abe Brown. “Hyrone was also there to go for a layup. Once Hyrone cleared, Everette was the one that was open.”

EC Central trailed on that possession because of the hand of Ronnye Beamon, who soared over a sea of hands to tap in a rebound with 15 seconds left, moving Bishop Noll ahead 58-57.

“This is the kind of game that you win with rebounding,” said Bishop Noll head coach Drew Trost. “At times, we did a great job of boxing out and at other times we were awful. That last play, they just did a great job. But on the baskets they got before that, they were on offensive rebounds.”

The game’s final minutes were indicative of the entire fourth quarter, which saw the lead change hands seven times.

“We missed some shots that we normally make,” said Trost. “We just weren’t executing against the zone like we needed to.”

EC Central switched to a zone defense in the second half in hopes of slowing down Noll’s scorers, such as Dean Danos, who had 13 points in the first half.

“We couldn’t guard them; they got to the basket at will in the first half,” said Brown. “I don’t think they anticipated us going to a zone—it was pretty effective.”

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