Michigan guard signee Eli Brooks and his Spring Grove team rallied from seven down with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to beat Manheim Central and advance to the PIAA Class 5A District Semifinals.
Brooks didn’t play his best game, but he still scored 25 points in the victory.
“We just got [Central] sped up, got them into a couple turnovers,” head coach James Brooks, Eli’s father, told TheWolverine.com. “They started fouling Eli at that point and we were able to score with no time coming off the clock. He made 10 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter.”
One of his teammates his a crucial one down the stretch, as well, at the same time a fan accidentally turned off the lights in the gym. It created a surreal atmosphere, James Brooks said.
“The last game for Eli and the seniors there, to have the lights go off, to come back like that … it was great,” he said.
Brooks’ free throws were critical. He had been limited to only seven points at halftime.
“We have total confidence in him. … We always say, when you make it Eli, we’ll get back on defense,” Spring Grove’s Austin Panter told GameTimePa.com.
Brooks reportedly finished the game with a scar on his right ear after taking a knee to the head while driving through the lane, and he had been told he might need stitches, indicative of the physical nature of the game. He was at his most aggressive at the end.
“There was a big emphasis really on trying to get as many points as possible with the clock stopped,” Brooks said.
Spring Grove (20-6) is headed back to the District 3 semifinals for the second straight year and will face YAIAA champion Northeastern (25-2) at 8 p.m. Monday at Hershey’s Giant Center. The two teams split their meetings this year.
Full game video here:
Spring Grove had already clinched a spot in the state tournament with an easier than expected, 73-46 win over New Oxford. Brooks scored 21 in that game.
“Spring Grove always finds a way … that’s what I love about that team, except when I have to coach against them." New Oxford coach Sean Bair told the York Dispatch after seeing his team lose to Spring Grove for the third time this season.
New Oxford ran a box-and-one on Brooks, but he still finished as the Rockets’ top scorer, including a “spectacular” dunk in the third quarter when Spring Grove outscored New Oxford 19-9.
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