Olive-Harvey ousts Elgin Community College
The game of basketball can be emotionally cruel.
It can lift a team to the highest peaks and just as quickly drop it to the lowest valley. The Elgin Community College men's basketball team is going through that heartbreaking feeling after a stunning first-round 84-79 loss to visiting Olive-Harvey on Thursday night in the Region IV Division II District 4 playoffs. The top-seeded Spartans were riding high after clinching their first Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference title since 1998 last week.
The game was deadlocked 43-43 at the half, but the Spartans shot just 11-of-33 in the second half as the eighth-seeded Panthers pulled away for the win.
"We knew this wasn't your typical 1 versus 8 seed," ECC coach Reed Nosbisch said. "They have beaten some quality teams, so we knew it was going to be a challenge. They just took us out of our game in the second half. They pressured the ball and got into the passing lanes and forced us to start rushing."
Dalton Shaner had an incredible first half for the Spartans as he made all 9 of his shots from the field, including five 3-pointers to finish with 23 points by halftime. Shaner finished with a game high 32 points. However, the Spartans were getting little other production. Skyway Conference MVP Brett Rau was held to 7 points in the first half.
The struggles on offense carried over to the second half for the Spartans but they still managed to hang tough through the first 10 minutes of the second half. However, O-H took the lead for good 59-58 with under 10 minutes to play and then went on a 13-2 run to open a 70-60 advantage.
Rau caught fire late to get the Spartans to within 5 points in the final minutes, but it was too little too late. Rau finished with 25 points.
'We certainly didn't expect this outcome," Rau said. "We just weren't ourselves tonight. We weren't moving the ball the way we have been. It's a disappointing to end what has been a great two years here for me."
It's the second staight season the Spartans have won at least 20 games only to lose in the first round of the playoffs.
'It's tough way to end," said Nosbisch. "But no matter what happened tonight these guys won 20 games and a conference title and that still makes it a great season."