Undefeated Trojans Upend Eagles in OT

The thrill of a crosstown rivalry was on full display on Friday, December 5, as the Lely Trojans used their trademark frenetic pace to turn a game that was tied 55-55 at the end of regulation into a 72-60 win in front of a crowd that was just as frenzied as the play inside the Trojans’ home gym.

Coach Fritz Jacques, who has played Naples 25 times in his 14-year career as Lely’s head coach, was delighted to get his ninth win over the Eagles. The heated rivalry has seen 11 games decided by five points or less. The rivalry—Naple’s oldest—dates back to 1974.

"Oh, man,” Jacques beamed, “it's a rivalry. Coach Garrett Hull has them boys ready. They were ready to play. They were fully loaded. It was a ball game. We went to overtime. We just came off on the winning end today."

The Eagles, who advanced to the state’s Final Four in 2020 and Elite Eight in 2021, have a penchant for strong finishes.

"We talked about this,” Jacques said. "I already told my boys we could be up 20, we could be up five. It's going to be a ball game. It's the rivalry. It's always a ball game when we walk into each other's gym, so we respect them. I respect Coach Hull and I respect how they compete out on the court. And my boys are going to compete as well. And they did tonight."

In the end, the Trojans’ relentless pressure, with Jacques substituting five players at a time, proved too much for the Eagles.

"Like we talk about every day,” Jacques said. "Relentless effort. Not being selfish. Celebrating each other all through the game's ups and downs. You saw my team do that."

Jacques credits a veteran lineup for much of the team’s early success this season.

“They keep poised,” he said. "In the past, sometimes I think we allowed their run to bring us down. We didn't allow that tonight."

The teams were tied on 11 occasions in Friday’s back-and-forth game. The Trojans finally took the lead for good at 58-57 with 3:14 left in the four-minute overtime period. The Trojans outscored the Eagles 17-5 in overtime.

“When you have 12 seniors,” Jacques said, "I want everybody to play. I don't care if we're playing the number one team in the country. And everybody played tonight. Maybe some of the guys didn't get as many minutes as they want. But at least ten boys played starter minutes tonight. Sometimes in situations, I'm trying to give them the opportunity to learn their roles."

The Trojans were led by Branden Baptiste with 20 points, including four three-pointers. Blake Boyd was next in line with 18. Nine players scored for the Trojans. The Eagles were led by Alex Lezamo with 24 points. Jayden Bracero added 17.

The Trojans improve to 8-0, the best start in Jacque’s career. The Eagles drop to 4-2. Lely takes on another county rival when they travel to Golden Gate on Friday, December 19, for a 3:00 PM start.