Evanston 59, Loyola 55 (OT)
The back-and-forth battle played in front of a packed Evanston High School gym was too good for just 32 minutes of basketball. In a game in which both teams hit big shots and saw the lead change 15 times, it was the Wildkits who were able to celebrate when the final buzzer sounded.
Fifth seed Loyola was outscored 11-7 in overtime as No. 1 seed Evanston (27-3) advanced to the class 4A Evanston sectional final with a 59-55 win.
"Offensively we can do a better job," said Wildkits coach Robert Locke Jr. after his team shot 19-for-49. "But I feel good about the way we played. We survived because we made the plays when we needed to."
Evanston hit 5-of-6 free throws in the final 35 seconds of overtime but put itself in position to win with a pair of 3-pointers to open the extra period.
Sean Croegaert-Key hit a 3 to give the Wildkits a 51-48 lead and, after a 3-point play from Loyola's Chance Carter (22 points, 7 rebounds), Stephen Rudnicki came up with the play of the game for Evanston.
Zach Morton (17 points, 4 steals) received a great pass from Rudnicki but missed a 3-pointer. Luckily for the Wildkits, the ball bounced right back into the waiting hands of Rudnicki, who calmly sank another long-ball to give Evanston the lead for good.
"I passed it to him and I thought he nailed it," Rudnicki said. "I was getting back on defense and it was a long rebound. No one was around me so I got it and shot it. I told Zach it was a nice pass."
Loyola (20-10) cut the Wildkits lead to one with a jumper from Matt Sullivan (19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals). Rob Belcore (8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks) hit a pair of free throws for the Ramblers to make it 57-55, but Morton hit 2 free throws with 5.7 seconds left to ensure the win.
"They hit some big shots," Sullivan said. "They hadn't hit that many 3's in the game and they hit two big 3's down the stretch in overtime and it was just too much for us to catch."
The Wildkits will play the winner of today's game between Hersey and Maine East on Friday in Evanston.