FLORISSANT • When he walked off the court on Wednesday night, McCluer coach Erwin Claggett yelled, pumped his arms and hugged and high-fived anybody in his path.
Claggett's Comets had just held on for a 60-58 victory against visiting Soldan with a strong fourth quarter that included a 12-for-14 performance at the free throw line.
"We know we can play with anybody. We know we can beat anybody. It's just a matter of finishing," Claggett said. "This is one of those games. Soldan's a great team. Coach (Justin) Tatum does a good job with his guys, and they fight really hard. So this is a good win and just a good game for us to play going into the district we have."
The win was the sixth in a row for McCluer (20-3), the No. 3 team in the STLhighschoolsports.com large-schools rankings, and the team's 11th in its last 12 games.
The Comets' last two losses -- 64-62 in overtime at rival McCluer North on Jan. 23 and 57-49 at Hazelwood Central on Jan. 4 -- came after they couldn't hold on to leads in the fourth quarter.
"To the guys' credit, it is something they've really, really been working on, especially these last two or three weeks," Claggett said. "Late in the season the game slows down and it becomes a possession game, kind of a grinder. You have to make free throws. You have to be able to execute and get good shots, and I think we did a good job of that."
McCluer forward Shacquille Edwards scored six of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter. Guard Demetrious Floyd had half of his 12 points in the fourth. Leon Watkins and Chantel Stanciel, who added 11 points apiece, combined for three key points late in the quarter.
"We were coming out, we were playing hard and trying to get one for our seniors," Edwards said. "This is their last year and we know that, so we're coming out and playing as hard as we can."
Soldan (16-5), the No. 1 team in the STLhighschoolsports.com small-schools rankings, fought back in the fourth quarter on Wednesday after trailing 32-24 at halftime and 39-35 after three quarters. But the Tigers never were able to catch the Comets.
Paul McRoberts, who banked in a long 3-pointer with 2 seconds left, led Soldan with a game-high 20 points. Randy Holmes had 16 points, and Pete Sanders added 10.
"They found their spots on the floor," Soldan coach Justin Tatum said of the Comets. "They came up with big shots. They made some baskets that we didn't think they were gonna be able to hit. At the end, they hit some free throws. The big guy, No. 22 (Edwards) stepped up and made some. We just couldn't find a way to get over that hump."
