Class 4A East Aurora sectional semifinal

No. 6 Neuqua Valley (23-7) vs. No 2 Waubonsie Valley (22-6)

From the start this was the dream matchup in the East Aurora sectional's lower bracket. Waubonsie Valley owns a 12-7 edge in the District 204/Upstate Eight rivalry including playoff wins in 2002 and 2003 -- the Warriors won with 56 points both times. The teams last met Jan. 11, when Waubonsie won 61-59 on 6-foot-3 forward Jelani Johnson's last-second, 17-foot jumper. Neuqua Valley, which shoots 49.6 percent as a team, is on a six-game winning streak. The Wildcats are led in scoring, as they have been all season, by 6-8 senior center Dan Pawelski and 6-5 junior forward Derek Raridon each at 12.6 points per game. Emerging lately from coach Todd Sutton's 12-deep crew is 6-5 sophomore forward Dwayne Evans, who scored a team-high 20 points in Neuqua's 62-53 win over West Aurora to claim the Willowbrook regional title. Defensive-minded Waubonsie Valley overcame a late-season lull to cruise to the title of its own regional, beating Glenbard East and a 19-win York team by an average of 20 points. Senior guard Josh Daniels' career-high 28 points on 11-of-14 shooting, including 6 of 8 from 3-point range, upped his team-high scoring average to 13.8. Coach Steve Weemer's team lacks Neuqua's depth but is far from a one-trick pony. Johnson and backcourt mates Justin Peaster and Kevin VandenBerg, both three-year varsity players, score between 12.8-9.9 points a game. Expect rotating corps of defenders on VandenBerg, whose play on the point keys the Warriors.

-- David Oberhelman