Fenton 78, Elmwood Park 69 (2 OT)
Fenton forward Damian Sieradzki felt he wasn't doing much to help his team win during regulation of Friday's boys basketball game against Elmwood Park.
Sieradzki, however, took it upon himself to make a big impact in overtime. The senior forward scored 11 points in the second overtime period, including pair of 3-pointers, to lead the Bison to 78-69 victory over the host Tigers in Metro Suburban Conference action.
Sieradzki finished with 21 points, 15 of which came in the two extra sessions. His first points didn't come until the fourth quarter and then he got on fire.
"I felt I wasn't contributing and felt like the team needed me," Sieradzki said. "I needed to step it up a bit. My teammates found a way to get me the ball."
"There are times in practice when no one can stop him," said Fenton coach Dennis Cromer. "When he gets on a roll, he really shoots the ball with a lot of confidence. Once he gets on a roll, he is a great shooter from anywhere."
Fenton (12-14, 6-3) also received a strong performance from standout guard Gozie Umeadi, who torched the nets for 28 points. Like Sieradzki, Umeadi really got it going late in the game, scoring a lot of his points on strong drives to the hoop.
He tallied 8 points in the fourth quarter to help the Bison tie the contest and also lit up the scoreboard for 7 points in the first overtime period. On one play in the fourth quarter, the senior poked the ball away from a Tigers ballhandler for a steal and then raced down court, finishing the play with an authoritative dunk.
Elmwood Park coach Dennis Keizer felt Umeadi was the difference maker.
"Gozie is very athletic," Keizer said. "We slowed (Umeadi and Sieradzki) down early, but they were too much late. We gave it a valiant effort."
The Bison showed a lot of character as well. They trailed 46-35 heading in the fourth quarter. Umeadi did his part while Sieradzki scored 6 points. Fenton also got 3 buckets from guard Justin Southward. The junior sent the game into overtime with quick move to the hoop with six seconds remaining on the clock.
The team traded big shots in the first overtime period. Tigers guard Tim Panik hit a 3 pointer. He scored 20 points in the game. In the second four-minute session, it was Bison time. Sieradzki started things off with a 3-pointer from the right wing with a Elmwood Park defender right in his face. On defense Fenton came up with big stops and had a couple of steals, holding Elmwood Park to a mere 2 points.
"Our defense down the stretch was huge," Umeadi said. "We got key stops and everyone pulled together to get the win."
Elmwood Park (8-18, 0-9) also had three other players score in the double figures -- John Mooi, Anthony LaBarbera and George Lako scored 20, 12 and 11 points, respectively.