Prior to Sunday’s bus ride to La Salle’s arena for the boys’ Public League championship game against Samuel Fels, Imhotep Charter coach Andre Noble had a conversation with R.J. Smith, the reigning Public League championship MVP.
It was the usual pregame conversation between a player and a coach. Noble asked Smith if he was ready for the big game, and Smith had a four-word response: “I’m built for this.”
Smith backed up that statement by scoring 23 points, repeating as the game’s MVP, and most importantly, helping Imhotep to a 71-66 win over Samuel Fels for its fifth consecutive Public League title.
“I’ve been on a mission [this year],” Smith said. “We’ve all been on a mission. We got goals we’re trying to [achieve]. It’s important for me, as a [smaller] guard and considered to be one of the best players in the city, to keep grounded and keep pushing my team to be the best. I’m with Imhotep because I like winners, so that’s what I surround myself with.”
Late in the game, however, the outcome remained in doubt. With less than 10 seconds to play, Fels trailed by just three points and, after a missed free throw, had a chance to tie the game. Guard Emerson Suarez grabbed the rebound but lost control of the ball, forcing Fels to start fouling.
Imhotep guard Carnell Henderson knocked down both his free throws to ice the game and clinch the win, as the Imhotep fans’ cheers roared through La Salle’s John Glaser Arena.
“This team has had to face a lot of adversity,” Noble said. “We’ve lost a couple people to injury. So, our ‘three’ man became our ‘five’ man. That’s why we play a lot smaller than we normally are. Those guys just rallied around each other and fought every day.
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Imhotep knows what it’s like to be in a championship game. Since 2009, the school has won 12 boys’ Public League titles and Noble has been at the helm for each of them. He says the key is approaching every season and every game with the same attitude.
“We approach basketball the same way, no matter who’s with us,” Noble said. “We just rally and work hard to make sure that we’re prepared to play basketball.”
Last year against Math, Civics & Sciences, Imhotep broke free in the fourth quarter and cruised to its fourth straight championship. But Fels did not let that happen this year.
Fels held the lead for the majority of the first half, until the final two minutes of the second quarter when Imhotep came back to take a 40-36 lead into halftime. However, Fels commanded the opening three minutes of the third quarter, and Suarez gave Fels the lead with a step-back jumper at the six-minute mark.
“I didn’t expect us to get rallied at the [close game],” Noble said. “Besides the fact that we played two freshmen and a sophomore out there, I felt like they were fine. We got the lead back, and I know our zones bothered them. From that we were able to close it out.”
Right after Suarez gave Fels the lead, Smith took over. He rattled off nine straight points, giving Imhotep the lead with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. It wouldn’t trail again. Fels made it a one-possession game with less than a minute remaining but never regained the lead.
While Smith and the rest of Imhotep are happy about their fifth consecutive PPL championship, the players are hungry for more and have their eyes on the state playoffs.
“We’re going to get to it this week,” Smith said. “We’re just taking in the win, taking in the championship, and taking it one game at a time.”