Cheers and applause reverberated through the Frank N. Cangelosi Gymnasium on Tuesday, January 17, after the Edison varsity boys basketball team secured a hard-fought victory against Woodbridge, who is ranked third in the White Division. Winning by a narrow margin of two points, the Eagles defeated the Barrons 57–55.

Ermin Kapo ‘23 scored a game-high and personal best 23 points and secured eleven rebounds. Ricky Harvey ‘24 and Selbin Sabio ‘23 scored fourteen and ten points, respectively.

Despite a heroic performance from Kapo, the star of the evening went to Ricky Harvey. With mere seconds remaining on the clock at a tied score of 55–55, Harvey delivered the highlight of the game with a swift drive to the baseline followed by a clean layup, winning Edison the game.

Now, what led the game up to this cinematic-like buzzer beater?

The first few minutes of the match aside, Edison was in the deficit for the majority of the game. At one point, halfway through the second quarter, Woodbridge almost had double the points Edison had (23–12, with Edison down eleven points).

However, several successful steals from Sabio gave Edison the chance to close the gap, for the best defense is a good offense. Edison trailed 27–24 going into halftime and finally caught up 37–37 midway into the third quarter. Right before the third quarter buzzer sounded, a last-second steal and a three-pointer by Ricky Harvey put Edison in the lead 42–41 heading into the fourth quarter.

From the outset of the final eight minutes, Harvey drew a shooting foul by jumping into the opposing defenders. This aggressive play awarded him two free throws. Harvey made the first but missed the second. Nevertheless, when one eagle falls short, the other backs him up: Kapo secured the rebound and made a reverse layup. All of this extended Edison’s lead to four points, 45–41.

Nonetheless, these risky, aggressive plays proved to be costly for Edison. Multiple offensive fouls in addition to violations in the fourth quarter resulted in turnovers and opportunities for Woodbridge to catch up. 

With less than ten seconds left, Woodbridge scored and tied the game 55–55. Immediately in response, Coach Charles Mohr called for a timeout. The players huddled and listened. After the minute was up, the players returned to their respective positions on the court. The plan was simple: score.

And we all know the story from there on. 

After this much needed win against Woodbridge, the varsity boys basketball team now stands at 5–9.

Game statistics are available from NJ.com.