How St. Andrew's grinded it out to win its second straight GIAA basketball championship
Ever since St. Andrew's won the GIAA Class 3A state championship last March, the Lions have been a team with a target on their collective backs. St. Andrew's brought back the majority of its starters -- including last year's state player of the year in senior guard Zyere Edwards, and were favored to defend their title since the season tipped off in November.
But the team never let its past success, or those new expectations get the best of it. The Lions kept their heads down, and worked hard to get back on the championship stage at Mercer University Saturday -- where they faced Heritage with a chance to repeat in the GIAA Class 3A title game.
It came down to the wire, and when the team needed a bucket and a stop, Coach Mel Abrams knew Zyere Edwards was the man for the job.
Edwards took care of business with the game tied and about 25 seconds left -- he drove to the basket, drew a foul and sunk a pair of clutch free throws to put the Lions up by two. Seconds later, his steal iced the game as the Lions beat Heritage 44-42.
"When I got to the line, all I was thinking was just knock down these shots," said Zyere Edwards, who signed to play at Augusta University in November. "I thought about all the early mornings and late nights I've had practicing in the gym for this moment. I knew when I had my chance to step to the plate I would come through.
"It feels great to finish my high school career with another state championship. To get not just one, but two, is crazy and it hasn't really sunk in yet."
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St. Andrew's finished the season with a 28-1 record, with its only setback coming in a 43-40 loss to Gibbs (FL) in a tournament game in January. Heritage was a well-coached, disciplined team and the Hawks led the Lions 34-30 after three quarters, but Edwards and the Lions would not be denied.
The Lions go contributions from throughout the roster. Senior Kaleb Lofton had some big plays on both ends of the court and helped seize back momentum after a Hawk run in the first half, as did Will Thompson with a couple timely jump shots. Edwards' younger brother Zayden, a sophomore, did an excellent job running the offense, while playing top-notch defense.
"As soon as we won it last year, we started talking about doing it again," Zayden Edwards said. "And we worked all summer and fall to get back to the championship game. When it came down to the end of the game, we put the ball in our best player's hands and Zyere got it done. There was a lot of emotion in the locker room after the game. We were happy that we won, but it was also the last game for five seniors, and we're going to miss them. You could see it in Coach Abrams' eyes -- he was happy, but he almost shed a tear too."
Abrams, in his eighth season leading the Lions, has built one of the most respected small school programs in the state. He tests his squad against strong GHSA teams whenever possible, and his team passed test after test.
"After winning it this time, I felt relieved," Abrams said. "I'm really happy for the players because they worked so hard for this, but this season felt a little different because we had that target on our back. It was a different experience -- and Heritage is a very good team. I'm just glad we found a way to get it done at the end."
Zyere Edwards, who entered the game averaging 22.6 points, 4.6 assists and 4.1 steals per contest, scored his 1,500th career point in a semifinal win over Dominion Christian. Abrams said the senior will be sorely missed.
"Zyere has been a pleasure to coach," Abrams said. "And I think a coach can learn things from a player too, and I've learned a lot from Zyere. He's proven himself to be one of the best players not only in Savannah, but in the state of Georgia. We're excited to see him take it to the next level at Augusta University."
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: St. Andrew's star Zyere Edwards helps lead Lions to second straight title
