CLEVELAND, Ohio — St. Edward had to wait nearly a quarter before finding their rhythm during a high-stakes rivalry game at Cleveland’s Public Hall on Saturday evening.

The St. Ignatius Wildcats, led by the sharpshooting Alex Mack, quickly took control of the game with a combination of strong defense and precise shooting. The team’s zone defense, starting early in the contest, played a key role in stifling the Eagles’ offense, while Mack’s ability to hit long-range shots helped secure a 71-67 victory.

“It’s catch and shoot,” said Mack, who made six three-pointers and finished with 20 points. “I work on it all the time. These guys set me up, gave me great opportunities to get my feet set and just knock them down. I don’t really think about it much.”

St. Ignatius (7-3), ranked third in the cleveland.com Top 25, managed to build a double-digit lead over the unbeaten and second-ranked Eagles (now 7-1). The Wildcats entered the fourth quarter with a 51-42 advantage, but they needed every bit of Mack’s scoring touch to hold off a late surge from St. Edward.

The Eagles managed to cut their deficit to just one point before R.J. Jones, a University of Akron recruit, found Mack for his sixth and final three-pointer with 1:15 left in the fourth quarter. That shot provided the Wildcats with some breathing room.

“He always shoots the ball crazy well,” said senior R.J. Jones. “Whenever I find him, I know it’s going in.”

Mack accounted for six of St. Ignatius’ seven three-pointers. The seventh came from sophomore forward Carlos Vaughn Jr., who added 13 points to his total. Meanwhile, Jones scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half.

“I think they were 5-for-5 in the second half shooting the ball,” said St. Edward coach Eric Flannery, referring to the Wildcats’ three-point shooting. “In a one- or two-possession game, you make those shots, that’s the difference.”

The Eagles struggled early in the game, missing their first seven shots. Flannery acknowledged that the unique depth perception of the baskets at Public Hall, home of the G-League’s Charge, might have played a role. He also credited St. Ignatius’ defense, particularly the efforts of 6-foot-6 University of Akron recruit R.J. Jones and sophomore guard Denahi Melton.

“They went to their zone probably a little earlier than we had thought,” Flannery said. “Instead of getting to the paint … we kind of settled. We’re not a great shooting team if we’re settling for shots.”

In addition to their early shooting struggles, St. Edward committed four of its 14 turnovers in the first quarter. Those mistakes turned into steals by Jones, who capitalized on them with two slam dunks.

“That’s just one of the things we can do, and it worked,” said St. Ignatius coach Tom Parker. “Beating a St. Ed’s team coached by Flannery isn’t easy. The fact we tried it and it worked, I’m proud of that.”

Despite the early challenges, St. Edward did not give up. The Eagles rallied in the second half with their own deep shooting, often after multiple passes around the court. Bryan Vlosich hit five three-pointers, four of which came in the second half, and finished with 21 points. Zymir Knox added 15 points, including a three-pointer for the Eagles.

St. Edward’s defense also played a crucial role in their resurgence. Sophomore forward Kaleb Gettis, coming off the bench, recorded four blocks, including three in the second quarter.

St. Edward never led in the game and had to rely on free throws in the final 30 seconds when St. Ignatius was in the bonus.

Mack’s two free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining sealed the victory in front of 4,891 spectators.

“I talked to my seniors before we started the season and asked them if they wanted to give up their home game vs. St. Ed’s and come to Public Hall,” said Parker. “They said yes. This opportunity was great.”

(Note: The attendance was announced at 3,891 spectators. The Charge posted online that it was 4,891.)