Neuqua Valley takes Upstate Eight crown
It's been more than two months since Neuqua Valley lost a boys basketball game. The Wildcats weren't about to lose their final regular-season contest.
"We're actually really confident," Wildcats junior Dwayne Evans said. "I think we've won like 19, 20 in a row (19). I don't even know. We've been playing really well lately. This game, Downers Grove South, we're really finishing well as a team.
"Hopefully, we come out state champs."
The Wildcats looked like state champs, routing Upstate Eight Conference foe Larkin 90-55 Friday on senior night in Naperville.
The victory gave the Wildcats (27-1, 9-1) sole possession of the UEC championship for the second straight year. They've won at least a share of the title four of the last five seasons.
Neuqua Valley took the lead for good when a Derek Raridon jumper with 1:40 to go in the first quarter made the score 15-14. The Wildcats, who started an all-senior lineup, brought some of their leading scorers off the bench after that and broke the game open.
A Dwayne Evans free throw made the score 25-15 with 5:43 left in the second quarter. An Alex Wahl layup ended Neuqua's 14-2 run, but it didn't stop the Wildcats' momentum. When Steve Waeghe converted a lay-in at the 3:26 mark, it gave the Wildcats a 20-point lead.
"They're real tough," Larkin guard Jeff Saurbaugh said. "Even with just their seniors out there, they're tough, they're strong, they're fast."
"They're not ranked No. 2 or whatever in the state for nothing," Larkin coach Larry Hight added. "They had too many horses for us, but our kids kept on battling as much as they could."
Evans led Neuqua Valley in scoring with 13 points in about 12 minutes of action. He added 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 assists and 2 blocks for good measure. Raridon scored 11 points, Kareem Amedu had 10 and Waeghe 10.
Brandon Cooks' 11 points led the Royals (7-19, 1-9), who also got 10 from Terell John.
The Wildcats next play in the Class 4A Batavia regional on Tuesday, when they meet the winner of Monday's Naperville North-Benet game.
"I don't think you ever feel like you're ready," Sutton said. "There's always things to work on. Your opponents are so well prepared, they're ready to play. We've met every challenge all year. They've really done everything we've asked. We've seen every type of offense, all the different styles. We've seen different defenses. So I guess everyone's prepared at this point."