Hill leads Aurora Christian into regional championship game
GENOA - Aurora Christian proved a hill is tougher to climb than a ridge on Wednesday night.
After 6-foot-7 Plano junior Harold Ridgeway burned the Eagles for 11 points on 5 baskets in the first quarter, Aurora Christian adjusted by pushing the lanky center further and further out of the paint. He scored 9 points the rest of the game.
Meanwhile, Eagles guard Nate Hill rebounded from a so-so start and caught fire in the fourth quarter. The senior scored 9 points in the last eight minutes on 4-for-4 shooting to help lead No. 3 Aurora Christian to a 54-51 victory over No. 2 Plano in the second semifinal of the Class 2A Genoa-Kingston regional.
Aurora Christian (14-12) will vie for its third straight regional title and the 11th in program history against St. Edward (11-18) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The two teams will play in the same division of the new Suburban Christian Conference next season.
"We're fortunate to get out of here with a win," said relieved Eagles coach Marc Davidson, whose team withstood two Plano 3-point attempts in the final 27 seconds.
The nip-and-tuck playoff game featured 15 lead changes, the last coming when Hill took a smart baseline feed from Eric Anderson and converted a layup that gave the Eagles a 49-48 lead with 1:59 left in the game.
"It was do-or-die time," said Hill, who connected on 4-of-11 shots before the final period. "I had to get my legs underneath my shot because I was chucking up shots before."
Hill's basket ignited a 7-0 run that tipped the scales in the Eagles' favor. After a turnover by Plano (13-16), sophomore guard Jeremy Anderson sank a 3-pointer from the left of the arc to put Aurora Christian ahead 52-48 with 1:12 left.
The Eagles grabbed a 6-point lead when senior guard Brad Rutherford spotted Eric Anderson (11 points) behind the Reapers' full-court press for a layup with 42 seconds to play.
Plano guard Ryan Campisi notched a 3-pointer with 31.5 seconds left, but the Reapers missed 2 attempts from long range and a bonus free throw in the final 27 seconds despite the benefit of 2 Aurora Christian turnovers. Hill blocked Ridgeway's 2-point attempt at the buzzer to secure the victory for the Eagles and allow them to look ahead to Friday's game against St. Edward.
"It was an upset," Aurora Christian senior Jordan Roberts (8 points) said of the Green Wave's victory over top-seeded Genoa-Kingston. "We'll have to get ready and come with our heads focused. They might be a lower seed, but we have to come ready to play because they play tough."