High school basketball: Ethan Hill helps lift Brentwood past Crossroads
Brentwood’s Ethan Hill was so sick before Monday night’s basketball game against Crossroads that he sought out an open urgent care to give him an IV.
At the end of the game, when Brentwood came back from an 11-point deficit to defeat rival Crossroads 70-60, the 6-foot-7 Hill used all of his last energy to dance with the cheering student section who became loud and boisterous and helped inspire the Eagles rally.
“I feel horrible,” Hill said as he rested on the team room floor after blowing his noise. “I’m so tired.”
Somehow he played the entire fourth quarter and made five consecutive free throws to help Crossroads earn their first Gold Coast League loss.
One of Brentwood’s heroes was young guard AJ Okoh. He finished with 24 points. Crossroads (14-11, 5-1) couldn’t stop it from rolling in the second half.
“One of the best point guards in the country,” Brentwood coach Ryan Bailey said. “He doesn’t back down from anyone.”
Brentwood (22-3, 4-1) lost to Crossroads 72-56 on Jan. 9 in one of its worst performances of the season. This time, the Eagles, in front of their home crowd, were determined not to let their former player, Shalen Sheppard, leave the gym with a victory.
Emotions twice resulted in technical fouls against Brentwood players for taunting. At the end of the match, when the buzzer sounded, officials ejected Brentwood’s Sheppard and Ryan Howard as they engaged in a small wrestling match. Crossroads, which starts four sophomores, received 16 points from Evan Willis and 14 from Sheppard.
Brentwood trailed 32-23 at halftime. This led Bailey to give a fiery speech at halftime.
“I was proud of the way they fought,” Bailey said. “We had a little speech at half-time and they responded and the home crowd was phenomenal.”
Augustus Sugarman contributed to the comeback with two three-pointers and two free throws in the fourth quarter. There were seven lead changes early in the fourth quarter until Brentwood pulled away.
