‘Everything about it was crazy.’ Millbrook rallies to win memorable 4A state title.
Millbrook senior forward Eric Van der Heijden was asked to describe Saturday’s 67-65 overtime win over Ardrey Kell in the N.C. 4A state championship game.
Van der Heijden fouled out in regulation and watched his team fall behind 65-61 in the final seconds. Then he watched his team make an improbable rally to win the first state title in school history.
And, at the postgame media session, Van der Heijden was quick with his answer.
“I can probably describe it with one word,” said Van der Heijden, a 6-9 forward who signed with Louisville. “Crazy. Everything about it was just crazy. Back and forth, me fouling out. Overall just a crazy game.”
Millbrook (19-0) and Ardrey Kell (10-1) traded body blows all game. Millbrook took a lead. Ardrey Kell took a lead. Ardrey Kell rallied from five points down in the final 80 seconds of regulation to force overtime. Then, the Knights looked like they had a chance win it in the extra period with Millbrook’s best player now moonlighting as a very tall assistant coach.
Ardrey Kell led 65-61 with less than 30 seconds to play. But the Knights missed four straight free throws.
Millbrook junior Silas Demary made four on the other end: two with 17.2 seconds left and two more with 10 seconds remaining. And as a Ardrey Kell player tried to go up the court with the game now tied, Demary stole the ball from him, laid it up and broke the Knights’ collective heart with four seconds on the clock.
Demar finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Van der Heijden had 21 points, three rebounds and Redford Dunton had 10 points and six rebounds.
“We’re kind of shell-shocked right now,” Ardrey Kell coach Mike Craft said. “We had a 65-61 lead and we didn’t finish the game.”
Millbrook was in the state final for the first since 2011, when the Wildcats lost to West Charlotte. On Saturday, they faced another Mecklenburg County team.
Ardrey Kell controlled the game early, as 6-8 junior Elijah Gray (18 points, 11 rebounds, six assists) dominated inside and Knoah Carver (21 points, five rebounds) shot well from outside. But when Gray went to the bench with two fouls in the second quarter, Millbrook rallied to take a seven-point halftime lead.
When Gray came back in the third quarter, so did Ardrey Kell.
The Knights outscored Millbrook 25-14 in the period to set up a frenetic finish.
▪ With 21 seconds left in regulation, Dunton’s layup gave Millbrook a 58-57 lead.
▪ Then Evan Smith rushed up the court and sank a runner to give the Knights a 59-58 lead moments later.
▪ Next, Demary was fouled trying to get up a game-winning shot with 5.3 seconds left.
He missed the first free throw and made the second to force overtime, which the Wildcats played without their star. But Millbrook had won two straight overtime games to get to the finals and coach Christopher Davis said trailing late in the game didn’t bother his team.
“We work on time and score so much (in practice),” he said. “I don’t know if you noticed, we’re never nervous about those things. We continue to play through it, so we feel like until the horn sounds, we’ve got a chance.”
Ardrey Kell’s Craft said his team’s goal was to limit high-scoring Millbrook to 60 points or less, and until the final seconds, he felt the Knights were doing a good job.
“You have to give them credit,” Craft said. “They did not quit. They have won three straight overtime games. They’ve had a knack for winning close games. I thought we had them, but we let them slip.”
At the postgame media session, Millbrook’s Redford Dunton talked about how “you can literally put every emotion in one game and that’s what you got tonight,” and Chris Daniels said his team’s composure is what pulled them through.
“I was never nervous,” Daniels said. “I never had any doubt in my team.”
Finally, you could see coach Davis smile underneath his mask, as he leaned back in his chair.
“This may be the best team I’ve ever coached,” he said, “as far as dealing with the (COVID-induced) adversity and those things. But it was just so much fun to be with them. Even (Friday’s) practice, spending time with these guys for the last practice was great. I’m going to miss that part of it, but these guys have left a legacy at our school. They left a state championship. Their last game ever. Can you imagine that?
“In your last game ever, you play for a state championship and win it.”
Game Summary
Ardrey Kell 15 9 25 10 6 — 65
Millbrook 10 21 14 14 8 — 67
ARDREY KELL 65: Smith 8, Knoah Carver 21, Nelson 4, Peyton Gerald 14, Elijah Gray 18
MILLBROOK 67: Silas Demary 22, Daniels 6, Redford Dunton 10, Eric van der Heijden 21, Jordan 6, Pettis 2
