Edward Little boys basketball rolls to season finale win over rival Lewiston

Edward Little’s Akol Maiwen looks to the hoop Thursday while Lewiston’s Cohen Strachan defends in Auburn. Edward Little overpowered Lewiston, 54-35, and Maiwen was named MVP of the rivalry game. (Libby Kamrowski Kenny/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image

AUBURN — The Edward Little boys basketball team made sure its senior night was a special one.

A strong first quarter gave the Red Eddies a nice lead, and they never looked back on their way to a 54-35 win over rival Lewiston on Thursday night in a Class A North showdown.

“It’s a great win, everyone was out there working hard,” said Akol Maiwen, a senior forward. “We stuck to our game plan. We knew what it felt like to lose (to Lewiston) from the last time, we remember that pain. We came in here ready to work and made sure (Lewiston) felt that same pain tonight.”

Maiwen led Edward Little (14-4) with 19 points. Chan Ring and Carson Veilleux both added 11.

Junior Grayson Bernard led the Blue Devils (10-8) with 13 points, while Joao Samba added six points and five rebounds.

The Red Eddies were able to exact some revenge on Lewiston, which beat Edward Little 48-46 on Jan. 15, thanks to a shot in the final seconds by freshman forward Camden Bernard.

“It’s a great rivalry,” said Edward Little coach James Philbrook. “I’m just proud of our seniors and what they’ve done. I’m glad we can send them off (to the playoffs) with a W.”

Edward Little, which finishes the regular season with five straight wins, will enter the A North playoffs as the No. 2 seed, while Lewiston is the No. 5 seed.

How did they get there?

A strong start. Edward Little outscored the Blue Devils 14-5 in the first quarter, which at one point included an 11-0 run. All but one basket scored in the period for Edward Little was a 3-pointer.

“It was a really good night for us, shooting-wise,” Maiwen said. “We knew that it was nothing new for us. We shoot as a team every single day, we do all the extra shots (at practice). We knew it was going to fall in tonight, and it was going to be a good night.”

“We’ve been getting off to some great starts recently, which is awesome,” added Philbrook. “It starts with warmups, just being mentally prepared, being locked in from the start and executing our game plan. We’ve done a great job moving the basketball and just believing in each other, too.”

Lewiston was able to fight back, at times, with some work in the post, mainly from Grayson Bernard, but the Blue Devils were never able to make a strong comeback bid.

Big night for Monday (on a Thursday)

Bari Monday, Edward Little’s varsity manager, got a special treat on Thursday. Wearing No. 33, Monday, a senior, got the chance to suit up and be in the starting lineup for the Red Eddies.

“Akol and Cedric (Makelele) came to me with the idea,” Philbrook said. “Bari’s been in the program for three years, he’s a great kid. We talked to the coaches, administration, they gave us the green light, and after practice (Wednesday), we told him to get ready, he’s suiting up. I know he was pumped, and I’m sure his family was pumped to see him out there as well.”

Edward Little senior Bari Monday shoots while being defended by Lewiston’s Camden Bernard, left, and Terrell Rias on Thursday in Auburn. Monday was able to be a starter on senior night despite being listed as a manager on the team’s roster. (Libby Kamrowski Kenny/Staff Photographer)

With the game well in hand, Monday got to play a good chunk of the fourth quarter, getting a loud ovation from the student section every time he got his hands on the ball. He scored no points but grabbed a rebound and showed some good movement up and down the floor.

“It felt good,” Monday said. “It was a lot of pressure, getting back into it. It feels good to play on a team again, just getting the chance to be on the court and play with people I know and finish the game off. … It felt amazing hearing my name in the crowd, but I couldn’t let it get to my head. I’ve got to keep my cool and play good.”