LORAIN — Free throws.
They’re one of those things that get taken for granted, but miss seven in a row with the game on the line and they jump right off the scoresheet.
Elyria did just that in the final 1:24 at Southview on Tuesday and wound up losing 74-70 in the backyard, non-conference rivalry game. Elyria, with a season-ending home game Friday against Brunswick, fell to 13-5 while the Saints enter the Midview Division I tournament next week at 12-8.
“This was just what the doctor ordered,” Southview coach Andy Bastock said. “We were kind of down about the King game (a 75-66 loss on Saturday) and the kids were upset it took them so long to get in the rhythm of that game. I told them we needed to attack right away — offensively and defensively.”
“We didn’t make foul shots,” Elyria coach Bob Walsh said. “I don’t know how many rebound baskets (Southview) had but the differential was totally atrocious. We didn’t do anything really well.”
In reality, both teams made about the same percentage from the foul line (Elyria 20-of-33 to Southview’s 17-of-28) and the rebounding totals weren’t that one-sided (Southview 41, Elyria 38).
But it was when the free throws were missed and when the rebounds were grabbed that spelled the difference, considering the Pioneers had only 11 turnovers to Southview’s 25.
The Pioneers trailed just 71-69 at the 1:24 mark when Rayshawn Camel missed a pair of free throws, then it was Promis Cabbil, one of the most reliable foul shooters on the team, missing five straight before hitting the last of a two-shot situation for the final score.
Quincy Ezell had put the Saints up 72-69 after Cabbil’s first two-shot miss and Josh Biber followed up Ezell’s missed layup with 24 seconds to play to put the Saints up 74-69.
“Obviously, (we) came not ready to play,” Walsh said. “We got outhustled, got outrebounded, got outshot. We played terrible. The question is how did we manage to stay so close?”
It was Elyria’s superior backcourt quickness that kept the Pioneers in the game. When it scored seven unanswered points off Saints turnovers in less than a minute’s time midway through the third quarter, the Pioneers held a 51-41 lead with 3:50 left. Demetrius Dalton, Elyria’s leading scorer with 24 points, led the rally with a layup and rebound basket. Thanks to Camel’s driving shot, the lead was still 58-52 as the third quarter came to an end.
But Biber got a stickback and a free throw to start the fourth quarter and Quincy Ezell rebounded his own missed shot for another to start things going Southview’s way. Elyria made only two of its 17 field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter and was just 8-of-19 at the foul line.
Biber finished with 30 points and 18 rebounds, while Ezell had 17 points and eight boards for the Saints.
“It was about never giving up on plays,” Biber said. “As a team we never gave up on anything that was working for us. Everybody played their role. Hands down, as a team, it was the best we’ve played this year.”
“When we can’t keep our players on the floor, we get into trouble,” Walsh said of foul trouble for all three of his inside players — Seryrell Davis, Travis Noble and Mykel Williams. “We had the lead but we tried to mish-mash and jump and dance through the rings to try to keep some semblance of rebounding ability out there, but eventually (Southview) got them both out (Davis and Noble).”
Williams, who finished with four fouls, came off the bench to grab nine rebounds. Davis and Noble each gathered eight before fouling out.
Contact Tim Gebhardt at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

Southview 74, Elyria 70

ELYRIA (70): Promis Cabbil 1-13-15, Demetrius Dalton 9-4-24, John Yeaples 0-0-0, Seryrell Davis 3-2-8, Travis Noble 5-0-10, Mykel Williams 2-0-4, Rayshawn Camel 4-0-8,  Michael Higginbotham 0-0-0, Alex McKenna 0-1-1, Kare King 0-0-0. Totals 24-20-70.
SOUTHVIEW (74): Drew Laurenti 2-0-5, Tony Sanchez 2-0-4, Quincy Ezell 7-3-17, Josh Biber 10-9-30, Montrell Elliott 1-2-4, Mike Anderson 1-2-4, Quinton Ezell 3-2-8, Marshall Crum 1-0-2, Angel Gomez 0-0-0, Elvin Marquez 0-0-0. Totals 27-17-74.
Elyria        15    25    18    12    —    70
Southview     18    18    16    22    —    74
Three-point goals: Elyria 2-18 (Dalton 2), Southview 3-5 (Laurenti, Biber, Quinton Ezell). Field Goals: Elyria 24-69 (35 percent), Southview 27-54 (50 percent). Free Throws: Elyria 20-33 (60.6 percent), Southview 17-28 (60.7 percent). Rebounds: Elyria 38 (Williams 9), Southview 41 (Biber 18). Turnovers: Elyria 11, Southview 25. Fouls: Elyria 21, Southview 24. Fouled Out: Davis, Noble, Laurenti.
Junior Varsity: Elyria 61-55.

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