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This couple’s love began as friendship that caught fire and still burns

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Misericordia Univesity staff, faculty support colon cancer awareness

WILKES-BARRE &#8211; Holy Redeemer&#8217;s Darius Washington, Pittston Area&#8217;s Tyler McGarry and Shahee Aurelus from Meyers put on the biggest individual shows in helping make the boys half of the 46th annual Dr. George P. Moses Wyoming Valley Conference Senior All-Star Classic a wildly entertaining game.The Lake-Lehman contingent put in the work necessary to help produce a win.Coach Ed Grant and assistant Chris Ushinski joined players Mike Symeon and Brian Devine on Team Grant for a 106-104 victory over Team Moses in the March 27 basketball all-star game at Holy Redeemer High School.Grant properly navigated the dual responsibilities of a high school all-star game coach, getting everyone involved and keeping his top players fresh for a stretch run in which they completed a comeback from a 13-point, second-half deficit.Symeon and Devine provided the hard work and hustle to do the little things necessary to support Washington&#8217;s team Most Valuable Player effort of six 3-pointers, 30 points, six rebounds and five assists.Symeon hit the boards hard for five offensive rebounds, just two less than the other 11 Team Grant players combined and tied for the most by anyone on either team. Devine provided the defense as the only player in the game to produce two steals.&#8220;They played hard,&#8221; Grant said. &#8220;You could tell that at Lehman, we play really hard.&#8220;They both represented the team well.&#8221;Symeon finished with nine points, seven total rebounds, an assist and a steal.Devine went 4-for-6 from the floor while contributing eight points, three rebounds and an assist along with his two steals.During the 13:47 that Devine was on the floor, Team Grant outscored Team Moses, 40-29, as opposed to being outscored by nine points in the 26:13 he was on the sideline. The team scored 34 points during the 9:06 that Symeon played in the second half, averaging 3.74 points per minute compared to production of 2.33 the rest of game.Aurelus went 7-for-8 in the first half, including 5-for-6 on 3-pointers, to score 20 of his 28 points and help Team Moses to a 57-44 lead.McGarry, a Misericordia University basketball and golf recruit who was playing for the first time since having his season ended early by a broken ankle, shared team MVP honors with Aurelus. McGarry did his best to try to hold off the comeback, making six of his first seven 3-point attempts of the second half on his way to an 8-for-11 effort for 24 points and eight rebounds.&#8220;It meant a little more to me, definitely,&#8221; McGarry said. &#8220;I wasn&#8217;t able to finish my season with my teammates.&#8220; &#8230; As soon as the game started, I was taking it seriously. I mean I was having fun, but I definitely wanted to win and I wanted to play well.&#8221;Team Grant trailed by 13 four times early in the second half before Hanover Area&#8217;s Jake Barber and Devine started a rally. Barber scored two straight baskets and set up Devine on the fastbreak to complete the six-point streak.Devine ran the floor again to score in transition with 8:10 remaining, giving Team Grant an 82-81 advantage and its first lead of the game.Barber again had four points in a six-point streak to a 103-99 Team Grant lead. McGarry then answered with a 3-pointer with 1:05 left and Aurelus converted a rebound with 30 seconds remaining for a 104-103 Team Moses lead.Barber hit the game-winner on a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 16.3 seconds left and Team Grant combined a defensive stop with a Barber steal after the rebound to preserve the win.&#8220;That was a great game,&#8221; Grant said. &#8220;There were a lot of big-time shots for guys on both teams and everybody chipped in for our win.&#8221;

Lake-Lehman’s Grant, Symeon, Devine contribute to boys basketball all-star win