Neuqua Valley slows down E. Aurora

Neuqua Valley's defense made the game "shorter."

That made East Aurora's night longer.

In Friday's Upstate Eight boys basketball game in Naperville, Neuqua Valley beat East Aurora 59-47, holding its guest 16 points below its average.

Shifting between man-to-man and 1-2-2 and 2-3 zone defenses stifled East Aurora, and Neuqua's 14-3 run to start the second half provided needed separation. The Wildcats went 8 of 9 from the foul line to close out the win.

"Defensively, we kind of switched mindsets, from not doing the full-court man press to doing a basic 1-2-2," said Wilkins, whose 17 points led Neuqua ahead of T.J. Jordan and Danny Pawelski with 12 apiece.

"I think that kind of really mixed things up, and that really slowed the game down. It made the game shorter."

East Aurora coach Wendell Jeffries was pleased trailing 27-24 at halftime with key players Tramell Weathersby, Jamar Shepard and Andrew Dockery all with 2 fouls.

Jeffries didn't like how the third quarter began. Neuqua Valley (7-2, 3-0) got 2 baskets by Jordan, hoops by Wilkins, Pawelski and Derek Raridon, then a killer Wilkins 3 to give the Wildcats a 41-27 lead.

"After that we had to over-exert ourselves to get back," Jeffries said. "Our bench didn't play very well tonight. You play with a short bench, you overexert yourself. We just didn't have the legs to finish."

Weathersby and William Brown, who scored 11 and 20 points, respectively, got busy to pull East Aurora within 41-35. A second Wilkins 3 ended the third quarter with the Wildcats leading 44-35.

East Aurora (5-3, 1-1) rallied within 47-44. Pawelski made a transition basket, then Neuqua hit free throws. Overall Neuqua was 20 of 27 to 5 of 11 for East Aurora.

Brown had to earn his points. The 6-foot-8 Pawelski had him until associate head coach Bob Vozza switched to the quicker Jordan, who also fronted the 1-2-2 zone.

"Switching it up, it did kind of slow me down a little bit when 44 got on me," Brown said.

"They just drive and dish, that's their game," Jordan said. "So we stayed in that 1-2-2, packed it in a little, made shots harder for them, and they were taking bad shots."

Shepard had 8 points, half his average. East Aurora was 2 of 15 on 3-point attempts.

"These are the quickest guards we've ever had," Wildcats coach Todd Sutton said of Wilkins and Jordan, while also praising Graham Smith and Nolan Brown.

"And they do play defense."