Brebeuf faced an unfamiliar opponent, hosting Shortridge on Thursday night. Sure, they’ve played the Blue Devils each of the past several seasons, but the Shortridge team second-year coach Ryan Mulcrone brought into Brebeuf’s gym had little in common with the teams that had lost by 30, 39 and 30 points to Brebeuf in the past three years. This year’s Blue Devils are 10-6 and 3A darkhorses, led by all-city performers Elijah Wilson (25 points per game) and TJ Davis (17 points and 9 rebounds per game). The team from Kurt Vonnegut High have awakened the echos of past IPS glories with wins over the likes of Warren Central and Greenfield Central, and a 2-point loss to #1-ranked Fishers. But they didn’t beat Brebeuf, and the Braves’ band of brothers. Brebeuf, led by twins Chase and Cooper Edmundson (20 points, 12 boards combined), and brothers Austin and Chace Ford (19 points combined), played their best ball when it mattered most, gutting out a 62-58 win with a fourth quarter performance that epitomized the style of play that coach Allen Glunt demands from his team. Tied at 42 after three quarters, the Braves used a mid-quarter stretch of pivotal offensive rebounds and terrific ball-handling to shorten the game and keep Shortridge’s stars at bay. Wilson had only 14 for the game, Davis 15, but only 2 in the fourth quarter, when he typically takes over games. “They are really good,” Glunt said of Shortridge in the postgame, “We really keyed in on Wilson- ran two guys at him, trapping him and using ball screens.” In other words, if the Shortridge star couldn’t see or get the ball, he’d have a harder time scoring with it. Box checked. For Brebeuf, the scoring in the fourth quarter was led by Dylan Logan, who matched Chace Ford’s game-high 13 points. Dylan scored eight in the final five minutes, including two three-pointers and a layup after taking a 75-foot inbounds pass from Chase Edmundson at the :43 mark that would have made Maverick Geske and Taylor Clark nod appreciatively from their seats in the Brebeuf Athletics Throne Room. (Like, seriously- where was Chase Edmundson when Brebeuf was having to stage an open audition for QB in week 4 of the football season? Hello?) Chase Edmundson also got the offensive rebound of the game at 1:43 in the fourth when the money was on the table, soaring over Davis to get Chace Austin’s missed runner off the left side glass, getting fouled by Davis in the process. It was maybe the best Chase (Chace) scene since Cary Grant ran away from the crop duster in North by Northwest. Edmundson’s two free throws (and this is Brebeuf, remember, so 2/2 free throws are never a given) spotted the Braves a 56-50 lead, which felt huge. Brebeuf led the majority of this game, but Shortridge kept coming back: there were ten ties and three lead changes. Immediately following Edmundson’s free throws, Jayden Washington swiped an errant pass by Wilson and flew to the other end for a layup, making it 58-50, which was a bridge too far for Shortridge on this night. Huge props to younger twin (by two minutes) Cooper Edmundson for breaking the seal on the basket in the first quarter with two 3-pointers that announced to the basketball gods that tonight was not going to be one of those Nights Where Brebeuf Couldn’t Hit Shots. “Cooper Edmundson gave us really great first half minutes,” Glunt said. Postgame, Glunt was also high on the Ford brothers, Austin and Chace, who lead Brebeuf in scoring thru 15 games at 11.5 and 11.3 ppg respectively. “Chace Ford played through some tough moments, and just kept attacking. Austin has been tremendous, finding any way he can to help us win.” It’s the kind of thing a coach says when his 5’11” leading scorer point guard also leads the team in rebounding, assists and steals. Austin’s 6 points against Shortridge may get lost in the stat sheet, but his presence leads this team through its toughest stretches, night after night, and some of his best assists are to his baby brother, such as on Chace’s two fourth quarter buckets. Brebeuf has a short turnaround before travelling to Park Tudor to face the always-tough 12-5 Panthers in an afternoon game. Make the short trip down Meridian and cheer on your surging Braves who are using brotherly love and a love of hard-nosed defense to paint a bright future.