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Eudora’s Sy Thomas elevates above defenders on a shot attempt during a boys basketball game against Ottawa on Jan. 30 at Eudora High School.
When Sy Thomas’ 40-foot buzzer-beating half-court heave splashed through the net Friday night, it felt like deja vu for many of his teammates.
That’s because Thomas already had a recent last-second game-winning 3-pointer on his resumé, but his heroics against the visiting Ottawa Cyclones in a heart-stopping 52-51 victory will likely go down as one of the greatest moments in program history.
“Oh, I knew it was going in,” said Landon Adler Rooney as he watched from the Eudora bench, while also referencing Thomas’ hot hand leading up to the season-defining moment.
“When Sy makes two 3’s in a row [right before that], the game is pretty much over,” the sophomore forward said.
Trailing by two with 2.2 seconds remaining, Thomas took the inbound pass from under Ottawa’s basket and darted up the left side as a pair of Cyclone defenders were in hot pursuit. Thomas released the ball off one leg while gliding in motion — almost making it look too easy with his pristine shooting form and feathery touch.
‘My thought process was ‘just get open,’” Thomas said. “My last two 3’s went in, so there was no doubt in my mind that the third one was going in.”
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Eudora head coach Tyler Cleveland examines his team’s play during a boys basketball game against Ottawa on Jan. 30 at Eudora High School.
Thomas, who poured in 11 of his team-high 21 points in the final frame, sizzled from 3-point land, knocking down four triples in the second half.
Thomas was electric down the stretch — connecting from distance to trim Eudora’s deficit to 45-44 with around three minutes remaining. With :37 ticks showing on the scoreboard, the Cyclones again failed to account for Thomas, as the senior floor general showed off his shooting range, burying a 24-footer to even the score at 49-apiece.
At the other end, things looked bleak after the Cardinals committed a foul with under three seconds remaining. Junior guard Jayce Mourning then stepped to the charity stripe, calmly sinking both free throws for a 51-49 lead, while also setting the stage for the wild finish.
As far as the final play, it’s exactly how Eudora head coach Tyler Cleveland drew it up. Well, not exactly.
“Actually, I drew up a completely different play,” Cleveland said.
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Eudora’s Ryan Osburn attempts a 3-pointer during a boys basketball game against Ottawa on Jan. 30 at Eudora High School.
The play in question was designed for 6-foot-6 junior forward Ryan Osburn to be on the receiving end of a length-of-the-court pass from Julian Oatis on the out-of-bounds play. If all went according to plan and Osburn secured the pass, he was then supposed to quickly kick the rock to a streaking Thomas or Cash Schnieder for the final shot.
But coming out of the timeout, Osburn made an executive decision, opting to “grab the ball and throw it in,” Cleveland explained. For Osburn, it was all about maintaining his chemistry with Thomas on buzzer-beating plays.
“Last time Sy had a game-winner, I was the one passing it in,” Osburn said of Thomas’s dagger 3-pointer to knock off Paola 65-63 in early January. “So I just wanted to give Sy a chance to make a play.”
Added Cleveland, “He can frustrate you, but at the same time, he can make plays that a lot of kids can’t.”
The back-and-forth contest ended how it began, with highlight reel plays hyping up the crowd in Eudora’s packed gym. Schneider set the tone for the game with rim-rattling dunk, soaring through the air on a quick fast-break opportunity.
“As soon as I got the tip, I was running the floor and no one was in front of me,” Schneider said.
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Eudora’s Cash Schneider attempts a floating layup during a boys basketball game against Ottawa on Jan. 30 at Eudora High School.
The teams traded scores early and often throughout the contest.
Schneider and freshman forward Hunter Hurtig dropped in six points apiece in the opening frame. But the Cyclones also had answers, receiving a major offensive boost from Aiden McCullough. The 6-foot-3 senior forward dazzled, dropping in nine points in the first quarter, displaying physicality in the low-post while also displaying deft shooting from further out.
McCullough connected on a trey early in the second frame, putting the Cyclones on top 24-19. A few possessions later, Schneider cut the lead to three after beating a defender in transition. But the torrid offensive pace grinded to a halt as the Cyclones held a 26-23 halftime lead.
The third quarter was mostly a seesaw affair. Eudora continued to have difficulty slowing McCullough, but a pair of Schneider 3-balls kept things tight as the Cardinals trailed 35-34 through three quarters of play.
“Toughness-wise, I thought we were better in the second half,” Cleveland said.
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Eudora’s players celebrate a score during a boys basketball game against Ottawa on Jan. 30 at Eudora High School.
Osburn’s triple knotted the contest at 39 early in the fourth. Another Osburn bucket midway through the frame put the Cardinals up 42-41. The Cyclones regained their offensive footing and led 45-41 after Mourning’s 3 from the left wing. From there, Thomas took over — detonating for nine of Eudora’s final 11 points — and the rest was history.
In addition to Thomas’ memorable evening, Osburn finished with 11 points — while Hurtig chipped in 10. For the Cyclones, McCullough finished with a game-high 22 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks.
“He’s a top two or three player in this league,” Cleveland said. “He’s super-strong; he can shoot it, and he can post you up.”
The victory ups Eudora to 7-7 overall and 4-3 in the Frontier League. The loss drops league-foe Ottawa to 8-7 (3-5 league-play).
Eudora plays host to Tonganoxie (3-12, 0-8 Frontier League) on Tuesday.
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Eudora’s student section celebrates a made 3-pointer during a boys basketball game against Ottawa on Jan. 30 at Eudora High School.
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Eudora’s Julian Oatis dribbles the ball during a boys basketball game against Ottawa on Jan. 30 at Eudora High School.
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Eudora’s Landon Adler Rooney celebrates one of his teammates making a big play late in a boys basketball game against Ottawa on Jan. 30 at Eudora High School.
