KENT, OH- The OHSAA Division I Boys Regional semifinal was held at the Kent State University MAC Center on Tuesday evening. The Brunswick Blue Devils and Canton Glenoak Golden Eagles squared off with a trip to the Regional Championship on the line on Friday at the MAC Center.
It was a back and forth start to the first quarter. With Brunswick leading 6-4, the Golden Eagles went on a 7-0 run with the last five of those coming from Issa White to take an 11-6 lead. Blue Devils forward Matt Morgan scored the final bucket of the quarter on a drive to the basket ending the Glenoak run and making it an 11-8 game after one.
Trey Drexler opened the second quarter scoring for Brunswick cutting the the deficit to one before Glenoak went on an 8-2 run spearheaded by big man Reese Zerger who chipped in with six of the eight points giving the Golden Eagles a six point lead at 19-13. Brunswick would answer back closing the half on a 7-2 run of their own as junior Aidan Shaker laid it in at the halftime buzzer.
The Golden Eagles held a 21-20 lead at the break. Zerger led Glenoak with 8 points at the half. Drexler and Quinn Barnett each scored 6 points for the Blue Devils.
Glenoak's Katour Ashcraft opened the second half with a nice reverse layup with a foul. He converted the and-one opportunity putting the Golden Eagles up 24-20.
Trey Drexler hit a long three for Brunswick pulling them within one before Barnett put them in the lead with a jumper at 25-24. Ashcraft and Zerger put together back to back buckets to give Glenoak a 28-25 lead. They would hold that lead until the final minute when Drexler hit a three to tie it up at 33 and then was fouled on a three point attempt before the buzzer putting him at the free throw line.
He calmly knocked down the trio of free throws putting Brunswick up 36-33 heading into the final quarter.
The two teams exchanged buckets to open the fourth before a Barnett score and Drexler three ball gave Brunswick a 43-35 lead. The eight point difference was the biggest of the night for either team. Glenoak would stop the momentum with five straight points capped off with a big and-one conversion from Zerger cutting the deficit to three. Glenoak kept coming but could not get the deficit under three. Trailing 51-45 late, the Golden Eagles junior guard Bryce Broom was fouled on a three point attempt from the corner giving them an opportunity to cut the deficit to three. Unfortunately for Glenoak, Broom was only able to convert 1 of 3 free throws making it a five point game at 51-46. Brunswick would score the final two points on a pair of free throw splits as they clinched their spot in Friday's Regional Championship after a 53-46 win.
Trey Drexler led all scorers for Brunswick with 18 points and 3 three pointers. Quinn Barnett chipped in with 15 points while Aidan Shaker grabbed 9 boards.
Reeser Zerger had 16 points in the loss for Glenoak.
Brunswick will be back at the MAC Center on Friday to take on the winner of Massillon Jackson and St. Ignatius with a trip to the State Final 4 on the line.
Interviews with Brunswick guard Trey Drexler and head coach Joe Mackey.
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