Inside No. 9 East Tech boys basketball's 82-75 win against No. 17 Warrensville Heights with top plays, stats, reaction: Video

CLEVELAND, Ohio — East Tech's boys basketball team rallied from a 12-point second half deficit to beat visiting Warrensville Heights, 82-75, on Wednesday.

Anthony Carmon had 18 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter for East Tech, ranked No. 9 in the cleveland.com Top 25.

"I had to be the leader my team needed me to be," Carmon said. "They needed me to step up. So I went and got the ball, and didn't shy away from the ball in the fourth quarter."

East Tech (17-3) outscored No. 17 Warrensville Heights, 30-16, in the fourth quarter. The Scarabs trailed by 12 in the third quarter but turned the nonleague game around by forcing turnovers on inbounds passes.

Yavari Hall led the Tigers (9-7) with 29 points.

What it means

East Tech stated its case for one of the top seeds in its district with the seeding vote starting on Thursday. The bracketing for the postseason happens on Sunday.

Carmon made 16 of his 20 free-throw attempts, including 10 in the fourth quarter.

Warrensville Heights struggled with the pressure East Tech applied in the second half and it threw the Tigers' offense out of its rhythm.

Play of the game

East Tech's Markell Johnson threw down a powerful one-handed dunk with 2:42 left in the first quarter to give his team a 7-6 lead. He finished with 12 points.

Critical run

East Tech ended the game on a 12-3 run, with Carmon scoring his team's last 10 points.

Who stood out for East Tech

Kory Cullum: The senior forward was East Tech's best rebounder all night and provided numerous second chances. Cullum finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Jayvonte Thomas: On senior night, he provided effective secondary scoring for the Scarabs, scoring 12 points.

Who stood out for Warrensville Heights

Jahmere Howze: Throughout the game, he was a factor for Warrensville Heights on both ends of the floor. Howze finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

Sinque Gaiter: He came off the bench with nine points, hitting three 3-pointers for the Tigers.

East Tech sound bites

Carmon on his team's defense: "Our defense is going to dictate our offense, honestly. If we're playing bad on defense, we're not going to get good shots on offense."

Coach Brett Moore: "The biggest key was just the defensive pressure on the ball. The on-ball pressure changed, and it kind of changed the dynamic of their offense. It helped us get to the passing lanes and do what we do best."

Moore on Carmon: "Having that dynamic of having those three guards, he was the one that had the mismatch. I looked to exploit that on the offensive end. And he took advantage of that."

Warrensville Heights sound bites

Coach Brian Swift on Carmon: "He's a shifty guard. He's tough. He finishes well. He did what a senior does, what a senior leader does. He put the team on his back and he got it for them down the stretch."

What's next

East Tech vs. Cleveland Heights, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Warrensville Heights vs. Maple Heights, Friday, 7:30 p.m.