Adams delivers 32 in ACC's victory
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Aurora Central's Mike Adams winds his way around Oswego East's Cameron Fairbairn during the Chargers' victory Friday at the Warrior Classic.
After missing all of his shots in the first quarter against Oswego East, Mark Adams might have been posed to have an off-game.
Not even close.
The senior on the Aurora Central Catholic boys basketball team poured in a game-high 32 points over the next 3 quarters in a 73-66 win over the Wolves on the third day of Waubonsie Valley's Warrior Christmas Classic Friday.
"I wasn't feeling it very much in that first quarter," Adams said. "But after that, I started to get lined up and I got a lot of open shots."
"It was a weird 32 (points)," ACC coach Nate Drye added. "He took a lot of shots that were like, 'Oh, great shot' and other shots that were like, 'Oh, I can't believe that went in.' He did a nice job.
"He made a lot of shots off the offense, but he also made some shots…when you are a great player, you get to do some things that other players don't get to do. Other players may have been taken out of the game for some of those shots, so when you are good, you get to do that stuff. He we knocking them down, so that was pretty cool."
Adams, a senior, scored 17 of his points in the fourth quarter.
"It's reassuring to have a player like (Adams) who can step up in those big-time moments and knock shots down," said ACC teammate Anthony Kelley, who finished with 13 points, including 6-for-6 at the free-throw line with 6 points in the fourth. "He knows exactly when to turn it on and when he needs to hit what he needs to hit."
Oswego East never led, but was able to tie the game five times in the first quarter.
ACC (12-1) led by as much as 47-32 after a Nick Czaja basket with 3:06 left in the third.
The Wolves, however, chipped away at the lead and got it down to 53-46 with 5:52 remaining in the game.
Back-to-back baskets from Mike and Mark Adams, with assists on the baskets from each other, got ACC back up to double-digits.
After that, the Wolves came as close as 70-64 with 40 seconds left in the game, but four free throws from Kelley and Mark Adams iced the game for the Chargers.
Nick Czaja scored 11 points and Mike Adams finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for ACC.
"He's a great passer," Drye said of his junior forward. "I thought for the last two games he's been the best (all-around) player out there, rebounding and passing. Just tremendous."
With the win, the Chargers, who went 2-1 in the tournament, take on rival Suburban Catholic Conference rival Marmion for third place at 5:45 p.m. today.
Al-Raby 53, Marmion 45: In the Cadets' 63-59 win over Naperville North Thursday, they had three players score in double-digits.
Against Al-Raby, Marmion only had one -- Sean Fichtel, whose game-high 22 points was not enough to beat the Raiders in the third game of Waubonsie Valley's Warrior Christmas Classic Friday.
"We can't have that," Marmion coach Rashon Burno said. "We can't have one guy carrying the team."
Fichtel scored 14 points in the fourth quarter -- the only quarter Marmion's offense kicked up a notch.
With Al-Raby leading 47-36 with 1:46 left in the game, the Cadets proceeded to go on an 8-0 run, led by Fichtel's 6 points.
With 30 seconds remaining, the Cadets (6-4) trailed 47-43. Al-Raby used free throws the rest of the way to separate itself away from Marmion.
"We had opportunities to win," Burno said. "The kids played hard."
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Sean Fichtel scored 22 points in Marmion's loss to Al Raby Friday at Waubonsie Valley's holiday tournament.