Boys basketball: Role players rescue Brunswick in GCC matchup against Strongsville

STRONGSVILLE — Adin Evert and Blayke Hamilton shot the lights out from the perimeter, and Luke Stella made plenty of precision passes. The trio gave the Brunswick boys basketball team all the early offense it needed to win the latest edition of the "Battle of Boston Road." Evert and Hamilton combined to make nine of their first 11 3-pointers as the Greater Cleveland Conference-leading Blue Devils built a 27-point advantage en route to a 69-59 win over Strongsville on Friday night. Junior center Evert finished with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 6-of-8 beyond the arc, while freshman forward Hamilton scored 14 points on 5-of-7 field goals and 4-of-6 3-pointers. "We all live for the rivalry, so we came out ready," said Evert, who added five rebounds and six assists. "Coach (Joe) Mackey keeps telling me to shoot more because I've earned it. That's how I approached the game tonight." Trey Drexler also scored 22 points and Sean Barnett had eight points for Brunswick (14-3, 9-0), which played without injured starter Drew Matus. The sophomore guard sprained his left ankle in the previous game against Shaker Heights. The Mustangs (6-10, 3-7) swarmed Drexler in the first half with Matus sidelined, but the sharpshooters and senior Stella made them pay. Stella dished out a game-high eight assists without a turnover, grabbed five rebounds, scored three points and made two steals. Seven of his assists came in the first 2½ quarters as the Blue Devils went up 50-23. "We were worried about the start of the game, but it felt like Adin and Blayke didn't miss a shot," Stella said. "Blayke made some big-time threes, especially for a freshman. "We wound up needing all of them because Strongsville was really good down the stretch. They played disciplined and we know they're well coached (by former Brunswick assistant Ryan Kilbane)." Hamilton, appearing in just his third game back from a broken hand, moved into the lineup for Matus and Stella shifted into the backcourt. Remarkably, given the situation, the Blue Devils only made three turnovers over the first three quarters. "The way the guys came through was really big because teams are clamping down on Sean and Trey, the deeper we go into the season," Brunswick coach Joe Mackey said. "I thought Adin and Blayke did a lot of good things, and Luke kept our offense running the right way." Mustangs guard Brandon Byers, who scored a game-high 26 points, made things interesting as the clock wound down in the fourth and the home crowd worked itself into a frenzy. Byers' sixth 3-pointer sparked a 7-0 run that cut the Blue Devils' lead to 63-55. The sophomore had an opportunity to get even closer after Brunswick turned the ball over on the next possession, but rimmed out a 23-footer. Drexler answered with a three to give the guests breathing room at 66-55 with 2:20 remaining, then closed out the win and the scoring with a pair of free throws. "I hope Ryan wins out and they can give us a little help the rest of the way, as well," Mackey said. Abdul Awawda had 12 points and five assists for the Mustangs, who had won three straight. Fellow forward Matthew Heffke posted 11 points and seven rebounds, and Adrian Fuentes chipped in eight rebounds off the bench. Hamilton and Drexler shared team-high honors with six rebounds. Each Brunswick starter had exactly five boards heading into the final minute. "We're taking it game by game, trying to keep stacking wins," Evert said. "It got tough at the end with all the pressure Strongsville threw at us, but we kept at it and came out on top." Contact Brian Dulik at sports@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @BrianDulik on X. Brunswick 69, Strongsville 59 BRUNSWICK &emsp;&emsp;25 13 20 11 — 69 STRONGSVILLE &emsp;&emsp;7 12 22 18 — 59 Brunswick — Blayke Hamilton 5-0-14, Sean Barnett 3-1-8, Adin Evert 8-0-22, Luke Stella 1-0-3, Trey Drexler 8-4-22, Prince Abi 0-0-0. TOTALS: 25-5-69. Strongsville — Abdul Awawda 5-0-12, Matthew Heffke 5-0-11, Harsh Patel 0-0-0, Brandon Byers 9-2-26, Shane McIntyre 3-0-6, Adrian Fuentes 2-0-4, Pavlo Kadras 0-0-0, Brandon Studier 0-0-0. TOTALS: 24-2-59. 3-pointers — Evert 6, Hamilton 4, Drexler 2, Barnett, Stella, Byers 6, Awawda 2, Heffke. Rebounds — Brunswick 27 (Hamilton, Drexler 6), Strongsville 30 (Fuentes 8). Assists — Brunswick 18 (Stella 8), Strongsville 16 (Awawda 5). Records — Brunswick (14-3, 9-0), Strongsville (6-10, 3-7). Junior varsity — Brunswick 62, Strongsville 46 (B: Dom Fenton 17).