Sanderson’s Second-Half Surge Lifts Brush Over No. 2 Chaney, 44-39

Behind a dominant second-half performance from Javion Sanderson and a rim-protecting effort by Reggie Smith Jr., the Charles F. Brush Arcs edged Youngstown Chaney 44-39 on Sunday at Welser Gym in the Everett Heard Invitational, snapping Chaney’s six-game winning streak.

Brush, facing a Chaney team ranked No. 2 in Division III, turned a grinding defensive battle into a statement win by closing strong in the final minutes. Sanderson finished with a game-high 20 points, including 17 after halftime, and was perfect from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, going 4-for-4 to help seal the outcome as the teams traded leads down the stretch.

Both defenses controlled the first half, with neither side able to find consistent rhythm. Chaney took a 17-14 lead into halftime, holding Brush to just 14 points over the first two quarters. The Arcs, however, stayed within one possession by stringing together stops of their own, setting the stage for a second half that shifted the momentum.

Coming out of the break, Brush’s offense began to flow through Sanderson, who attacked off the dribble and converted from the perimeter to spark the Arcs. His 17 second-half points helped Brush outscore Chaney after halftime and erase the Cowboys’ early advantage. The teams exchanged leads multiple times in the fourth quarter, but Sanderson’s composure at the line in the final period proved decisive as he knocked down all four of his attempts to keep the Arcs in front.

The Arcs (9-6) complemented Sanderson’s scoring with a balanced effort from the rest of the lineup. Khalil Dudley added 10 points, giving Brush a needed secondary scoring option in a low-possession game. Smith contributed seven points and eight rebounds, but his greatest impact came on the defensive end, where he was named game MVP after recording seven blocks and altering several additional shots in the lane.

Chaney (12-2), which entered on a six-game winning streak, struggled to find clean looks against Brush’s interior defense as the game wore on. The Arcs’ ability to contest shots at the rim and finish defensive possessions on the glass limited second-chance opportunities and allowed Brush to control the tempo late. Key stops in the closing minutes, combined with efficient free-throw shooting, enabled the Arcs to turn a one-possession contest into a two-possession margin by the final horn.