Scofield helps Geneva net title at DeKalb

Tyler Scofield was nowhere to be found among the 10 players anointed to the Chuck Dayton Holiday all-tournament team.

But the Geneva forward picked an opportune time to reach the scoring column in the championship game Saturday night in DeKalb against Chicago Vocational.

The Vikings' senior forward, who missed most of the tournament with a sprained ankle, scored all six of his points in a one-minute and 37-second span late in the fourth quarter to help Geneva stave off a furious CVS comeback.

Geneva (13-1) won its second tournament of the season with the 47-44 victory that was not in the Naismith playbook.

Consider this:

•Geneva attempted only 27 field goals for the entire game, including three in the final quarter; Scofield broke the second tie of the game with a driving layup with 1:07 remaining to give the Vikings a 45-43 lead not to be relinquished.

•CVS (12-4) forced six steals in the fourth quarter, and Geneva missed 5 of its first 7 free-throw attempts.

•CVS hit its first 14 free throws of the game, with 10 in succession in the fourth quarter.

•Twenty-three of the combined 30 fourth-quarter points came from the free-throw line.

•The Cavaliers had three individual rebounds (two team) in the first half.

•Geneva hit its only three 3-point field goal attempts of the first quarter - and did not attempt another one for the remainder of the game.

But first-year Geneva coach Phil Ralston, inundated with questions pertaining to the last Vikings' Christmas tournament championship, was pleased yet visibly relieved.

"The better question is, 'The last time they won both a Thanksgiving and Christmas tournament in the same season?'" said Ralston, noting the Vikings' completion of the double that began with the Oswego Hoops for Healing tournament last November. "The last four minutes we couldn't keep (CVS) out of the paint."

Jeremy D'Amico, who joined teammate Christian Frederking on the all-tournament team, opened the scoring in the zany fourth quarter with a free throw to give Geneva a 34-27 lead.

There would be only three field goals in the quarter: Vocational guard Hollis Hill, who led all players with 17 points, scored with 3:14 left.

After a Vocational theft, Angelo Nwankpa drained a 3-pointer to tie the game at 43-43 with 1:30 to play.

But with Vocational trying to trap D'Amico in the frontcourt, the senior hit Scofield with a bounce pass and resulting layup to turn the tide.

"They were much quicker (than Rockford Jefferson, Geneva's semifinal opponent)," said Scofield, who hit four free throws 27 seconds apart to give Geneva a 43-38 lead. "We need to take care of the ball a little bit better."

"(The go-ahead score) was a set play," Ralston said.

CVS had several attempts to tie late, only to fall short.

"We talk about poise all the time," CVS coach Chris Pickett said. "It's all about execution. We had guys trying to be heroes."

Rob Tauscher (11 points) and D'Amico (10) paced the Geneva attack.