AUGUSTA — The KVAC boys’ basketball season continues to outdo itself, and Edward Little keeps winning carnival-ride games.
EL overcame a 13-point deficit in the first half and a game-tying Cony 3-pointer at the end of regulation to win 81-80 in overtime Tuesday night.
Ian Mileikis scored seven of his career-high 43 points in the extra session. He had 16 after acquiring his fourth foul with 2:49 remaining in the third quarter.
“Overtime sure helps,” Mileikis, who also yanked down 11 rebounds, said. “I had to play pretty protective. My defense might have lacked a little bit.”
Lew Jensen added 18 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three steals for Edward Little (15-1). The Red Eddies are 6-0 in games decided by five points or fewer.
Liam Stokes and T.J. Cusick each scored 22 points to lead Cony (11-7). Mitchell Caron hit the 3-pointer to send it to overtime tied at 70.
“I love the intensity that the game had,” Cony coach T.J. Maines said. “It felt like a playoff game. We played very well in spurts and then had some defensive lapses.”
EL gave away a four-point lead in the final 8.5 seconds of regulation, helped by an inexplicable intentional foul, one that resulted in two free throws and Cony keeping possession.
Stokes sank the first attempt and missed the second to set up Caron’s heroics off a feed from Cusick.
“That’s a coach’s dream and nightmare, because it’s every situation possible, and we handled it poorly every single time,” EL coach Mike Adams quipped.
Still, the Eddies had a chance to win it after the officials put two seconds back in the clock during an EL timeout.
EL rifled a pass the length of the floor that Cony tipped out of bounds with one second to go. Thomas Cedre then alertly inbounded the ball off the back of a Rams’ defender, stepped onto the court and tried for the game-winner himself, but he couldn’t get the bunny to go down.
The lead exchanged four times in overtime, lastly when Mileikis drove coast to coast for his 42nd and 43rd points and made it 77-75 with 1:26 left.
Luke Sterling drew an offensive foul to end Cony’s next possession, and EL put it away with Jensen, Thomas Cedre and Charles Cedre combining for 4-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Sterling and Elijah Roe each scored their six points in the second half. Kaleb Main chipped in five points.
“A lot of people stepped up. Both the Cedre brothers stepped up big time. Lew hit a bunch of free throws. Everybody contributed to that one,” Mileikis said. “(Cony is) a team you’ve got to watch out for heading into the playoffs if they shoot like that.”
Cusick drained Cony’s ninth 3-pointer of the game as time expired.
“We haven’t seen anything like that all year,” Adams said. “We like to say that we create matchup problems for people, but they really spread you out. They dribble-penetrate and find the open guys. You’re just chasing people all the time.”
EL hadn’t played or practiced in four days due to stormy weather, and it was apparent early.
Cony went 8-for-13 from the field and built a double-digit lead in the opening quarter. Tyler Tardiff rained down a pair of 3-pointers. Ben Leet landed another.
The Eddies’ deficit expanded to 32-19 on another Tardiff trey with 3:29 to go in the half. But Mileikis and Jensen, each already saddled with two fouls, did all the scoring in a 10-0 run to the horn.
Mileikis had 20 at the half and didn’t cool off in third period. He started a 6-0 surge with a drive and punctuated it with a pass to Jensen for two and a 35-34 lead, EL’s first edge since 2-0.
“That’s astounding,” Maines said when informed of Mileikis’ point total. “I would have not have guessed that in a million years. The thing is, he did it with all the fouls on him.”
There were 11 more lead changes and nine additional ties from Jensen’s go-ahead basket to the end of regulation.
EL’s largest lead of the night, six, evaporated when consecutive 3-pointers by Caron and Stokes made it 50-all with 6:23 to go.
“It’s exciting, but hopefully it’s getting us ready for Augusta (Civic Center),” Mileikis said of the upcoming Class A East tournament.
The Eddies are scheduled to finish the regular season at home against Mt. Blue on Wednesday and at Lewiston on Thursday.
koakes@sunjournal.com
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