AKRON, Ohio — If season openers are any indication of things to come, Ed DeChellis is smiling brightly. The Penn State men's basketball coach locked Garfield Heights guard Trey Lewis to a scholarship in November, and the senior came through in a 75-69 win as the Bulldogs defeated host St. Vincent-St. Mary on Friday.
AKRON, Ohio — If season openers are any indication of things to come, Ed DeChellis is smiling brightly.
The Penn State men's basketball coach locked Garfield Heights guard Trey Lewis to a scholarship in November, and the senior came through in a 75-69 win as the Bulldogs defeated host St. Vincent-St. Mary on Friday.
The Fighting Irish kept the season opener a spirited game, but every time it looked like things were about to get interesting, the 6-2 Lewis stood front and center.
"We've had big-time players in the past, and we teach them to step up in pressure situations," Garfield Heights coach Sonny Johnson said. "Trey's a big-time player. This was a big-time game and he proved he was that big-time player willing to step up."
Lewis finished with 24 points before fouling out with 2:59 left.
Before that, he punctuated a 9-0 run by the Bulldogs with a driving bucket for a 67-55 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
SVSM had cut the lead to three with 5:18 remaining when Ricky Johnson (18 points) hit a 3-pointer.
Kenny Simpson and Mike Davis answered for the Bulldogs, but the run was highlighted by a driving bucket by Lewis.
"That was huge," Johnson said. "When the game is close like that, we try to prepare our players for moments like that."
It seemed Lewis was always in the mix for Garfield Heights.
He led a feisty run at the end of the first quarter into the second quarter to give the Bulldogs a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Down, 18-14, with 31.2 seconds left in the first quarter, the senior point guard scored seven of the game's next 13 points to give Garfield Heights a five-point lead.
"Trey played well," Irish coach Dru Joyce said. "They've had this date circled on their calendar for a long time. [Lewis] shot the ball well, but we gave him open looks."
The win was sweet redemption for a Garfield Heights team that had lost two straight to SVSM, including a 24-point thrashing last season.
"This one was really nice," Lewis said. "We were motivated the whole year to come out and get this one. It was good to come into their house and take something from them. They came to our house last year and took something from us."
Davis finished in double figures for the Bulldogs with 12 points, while Tony Farmer scored 10. The Irish were led by DaVonte' Beard's 20 points.
Brad Bournival is a freelance writer in North Royalton.