Despite the mounting chaos, senior point guard EJ Mosley stayed calm for St. Laurence.
It wasn’t easy either, but there really wasn’t any time for indecision or second thoughts on Mosley’s part as a blocked shot careened toward him during overtime Sunday.
“The ball came off a deflection, and my man was chasing it,” Mosley said, playing back the key sequence. “I just saw it there and I knew I had to do something.
“I was in the right place at the right time. As soon as the ball left my hand, it felt good.”
It also looked good as Mosley nailed an improvised 18-footer with 1.6 seconds left for a stunning 55-53 upset of Homewood-Flossmoor in the Team Rose Shoutout at Mount Carmel in Chicago.
Mosley, a Purdue Fort Wayne commit, scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half for St. Laurence (6-2). He added four assists and three steals.
Senior forward Jacob Rice added 15 points, followed by sophomore forward Markese Peoples with 13 and senior guard Zerrick Johnson with nine for St. Laurence.
Senior guard Ethan Howard scored 14 points for H-F (8-1), which had a 15-game winning streak was snapped. Jayden Tyler had 13 points and Darrius Hawkins Jr. chipped in with nine.
Mosley, a four-year varsity regular, helped St. Laurence storm back from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter against the reigning Class 4A state champions.
“EJ is really poised,” St. Laurence coach Roshawn Russell said. “In my opinion, he’s the best guard in the state. He can get it going at any point of the game.
“He’s a real point guard who knows how to get everybody involved. Even when his shot is not falling, I trust him in late-game situations. I’m glad he is on our side.”
Returning from one year playing at a prep school in Ohio, Rice sees a more mature and confident leader in Mosley.
“It’s great being back here and playing with him,” Rice said. “He does so many things out there. He made huge threes and great shots the whole night.
“I think we really play well off each other. We can both shoot and attack the basket, and him making that shot at the end was just crazy.”
As his playing time and role has rapidly expanded, the 5-foot-11 Mosley has learned the crucial part of his position. He’s the orchestrator tasked with making the right decisions with the ball.
He has quickness, outside touch and vision, seeing the game from multiple points of view.
“I think it’s my job and responsibility to make the big plays,” Mosley said. “I think the really underrated part of my game is just keeping my teammates motivated.
“Even if they miss a couple of shots, I’m coming right back to them and I know they’re going to knock them down.”
Part of what a point guard does is subtle, but Mosley said the biggest things can happen away from the action.
“I think what I love the most about playing point, and also the most challenging, is the work that you have to put in,” he said. “People never really see the work you put in behind closed doors.
“That’s what I fell in love with about the game — just putting in the work.”
The most difficult part of the equation is knowing when to take your own shot. This time, that choice was made for Mosley.
“You always want to make plays and get others involved,” he said. “I’ve made other game-winners before, but not like this. It says a lot, being big underdogs against the defending state champs.
“I think we just put the rest of the state on notice.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
