Maine East sophomore Jayden Dozie’s game-winner ends Niles North’s 30-game conference winning streak

Jayden Dozie was one of the area’s most productive freshmen last year at Maine East. This season, the talented 5-11 guard has been more careful about his shot selection.

“I took really crazy shots last year,” Dozie said. “This year is about playing as a team and taking better shots.”

That old creative aggressiveness came in handy on Friday in Skokie. With the shot clock winding down and the Blue Demons trailing Niles North by two in the final seconds, Dozie found a way to win the game.

He made a move to the center of the court, dodged a defender and launched a long three. It went in with four seconds remaining to put Maine East ahead. The Vikings had a chance to take the lead but missed a shot on their final possession and then Andrew Merz drained a free throw to seal a 65-63 win for the Blue Demons.

“That was one of the crazy shots I would have taken last year even if I didn’t have to,” Dozie said. “I was just thinking about my teammates.”

Maine East (16-6, 4-3 CSL North) trailed by seven with four minutes to play. Dozie, who finished with 20 points, made a three-pointer with 2:21 left that put the Blue Demons ahead 59-58. It was their first lead since the second quarter.

“It feels so good,” Maine East senior guard Brandon Schreiber said. “I’ve been playing Niles North for four years and never won. They’ve won those 30 straight conference games. Credit to Niles North. They are a great program, but it feels good to be on top.”

Schreiber scored 16 points. He’s led the Blue Demons in scoring the past two seasons.

“I really love my back court,” Maine East coach Sergio Muro said. “Brandon has really taken [Dozie] under his wing and he has bought in. They share the ball well and they play with a lot of passion.”

Sophomore Albert Cooper added 11 points and four rebounds for the Blue Demons and junior Kaiden Wade added six points and six rebounds. Dozie was very efficient, shooting 8-for-11 overall and 2-for-3 from three-point range.

“I’ve just been helping [Dozie] mature,” Schreiber said. “He’s a great basketball player. It’s just about not doing stupid things and keeping your head straight.”

After the handshake line, Dozie went straight into the stands to find his parents for a hug.

“I wouldn’t be here without my family,” Dozie said. “All the workouts they put me in. I just wanted to thank them.”

Senior Rayne Punzal led Niles North (18-6, 7-1) with 14 points and five rebounds. Osman Khan added 11 points and six rebounds and junior Collin Tobin scored 12. The Vikings out-rebounded Maine East 40-27 but didn’t manage a field goal in the last four minutes of the game.

Niles North’s last conference loss was on Jan. 27, 2023 to Deerfield.

“They don’t get enough credit for what they have done in our conference,” Muro said. “They have dominated.”

Muro’s young team celebrated the win wildly. It was a big moment for the group.

“You would think this could really change this for us, but we coach high school basketball,” Muro said. “This thing can go either way at any given second. I’ve learned a lot the last three years. It’s a long season with a physical and mental grind. We are going to try to finish the race and play our best basketball in February.”