Freedom High School boys basketball team advances to LVC title game with 45-40 victory over Parkland High School

Nyreef Jackson and his Freedom High School boys basketball teammates distinctly remember what happened on Jan. 20.

Parkland rallied for a two-point victory that night to ruin the Patriots' bid for an unbeaten season.

Freedom wasn't about to be denied again.

Jackson scored 16 points to snap out of a scoring slump and the Patriots hung on for a 45-40 victory over the Trojans in a Lehigh Valley Conference tournament semifinal at Allen High School's J. Milo Sewards Gymnasium.

"We really wanted this game," said Jackson, a junior forward. "They beat us the last time and we didn't forget that. That was a tough loss and we wanted to see them again. We were really confident today."

Freedom (20-3), which has never won a conference championship, advances to the title game against top-seeded Emmaus at 8 p.m., Friday at Allen. The Green Hornets defeated Easton 52-39 in the other semifinal.

Emmaus dealt Freedom a 48-43 loss on Jan. 31 in Bethlehem Township.

"This is a special feeling," Freedom coach Joe Stellato said, "but I don't want to get too emotional. We still have another battle coming up on Friday."

Joe Lococo, Freedom's leading scorer at 14.7 points per game, was held to four points through three quarters. But the senior guard made six clutch foul shots in the final 2:51 to help seal the win.

"I've said it all year, this team finds ways to win," said Stellato, whose team was 8-14 last season. "Every game they amaze me. I'm shocked at how these kids dig themselves out of holes."

The Patriots' lead seemed safe when Derike Chiclana's two free throws gave them a 43-37 lead with 21 seconds left.

Sophomore Justin Zajko made Parkland's only 3-pointer of the night to pull the Trojans within 43-40. Chiclana was immediately fouled with 12 seconds left, and the junior center missed the front end of the 1-and-1 free throw attempt.

Parkland (18-5) got the ball into the hands of junior guard Austin Beidelman, who hit the winning 3-pointer in the first game against Freedom. This time Beidelman's high-arcing 3 bounced off the back iron. Lococo added two free throws with 1.8 ticks remaining.

"I'd let (Beidelman) take that shot again," Parkland coach Andy Stephens said. "He's pretty good in tough situations. I give him a lot of credit just for wanting to take the shot. For a junior, that's definitely a good thing."

Jackson, considered Freedom's top defender, was primarily responsible for harassing Beidelman (14.5 ppg) into a 4-for-17 shooting night for eight points.

"He's a tough player, an all-league player," Jackson said. "I just tried to keep him in front of me and not give him wide-open shots. He has a nice shot with a lot of arc. I thought that (3-point attempt) was going to sink right in."

The game evolved into somewhat of a chess match as Freedom extended its defense to deny Parkland the 3-point shot. The Trojans shot 1-for-12 from distance.

Stephens seemed content to work the ball inside to burly forwards Rob Dvoracek and Daulton Charles, who finished with 10 points.

"I thought we could pound it inside and utilize our strength," Stephens said, "and I thought that would open up our perimeter game. It was a hard-fought battle. Give Freedom credit. They have the record they do for a reason."

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Freedom High School boys basketball team advances to LVC title game with 45-40 victory over Parkland High School